


Battle to the top

by Lavender_Lotions36



Category: Aespa (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Chaptered, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Heartbreak, Idiots in Love, Idols, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lesbian Sex, Light Bondage, Minor Injuries, References to Depression, Rivals, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, quite a few people are gonna be assholes, winrina
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:36:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavender_Lotions36/pseuds/Lavender_Lotions36
Summary: Two top female soloists, always at each others neck in the media are always being pressured to collaborate and settle their never-ending feud. Little do the public or their managers know, they're already dangerously close under the sheets but fearsome enemies outside their hookups.Will they put aside their little feud and become the queen's of pop together or continuously fight to wear the crown alone?
Relationships: Kim Minjeong | Winter/Yoo Jimin | Karina, Uchinaga Eri | Giselle & Yoo Jimin | Karina
Comments: 17
Kudos: 95





	1. Who's on top (M)

Karina… What a stupid alias to go by. To have every album, every magazine shoot and every photocard printed with that dumb stage name. Minjeong laughed bitterly and tossed away her rival's album back into the hands of Karina’s agent. “Jimin wasn’t nice enough?” “It was her choice for the name.” He said in a deep, monotone voice.  
Minjeong lifted her heels off her polished grey desk and onto the smooth hardwood floor. She sighed and ran a hand through her silky dirty blonde hair and chuckled at the bored agent.  
“You know a collaboration will never happen right? You’re wasting mine and her time by being here.”  
Karina’s agent rolled his eyes and pulled out a paper from his briefcase.  
“Minjeong…”  
“Since when were we on a first name basis here?”  
The older man scowled, “Winter…” He said through gritted teeth, “You know the popularity this collaboration would give could be staggering. The top two idols, both self proclaimed princesses of pop making a song could be a hit like you’d never imagine. Your fantastic range, her deep husk, it’d be an instant success.”  
Minjeong stayed unbothered by his offers, “You’re expecting rivals to join? How many times do I have to tell you? We're fighting each other to win the crown for ourselves, not to share it. Now if you wouldn’t mind, you’ve wasted enough of my time. Leave immediately.”  
Inside, the agent fought the urges to spit back and insult her for her reluctance but then again, his superstar wasn’t also too fond of this idea. All the producers, investors and fans demanded it but they were too unwilling for whatever reason.  
“Fine.” He scoffed, “Your loss.”  
Minjeong only laughed, genuinely laughed at everyone’s fascination with the two rivals that was never satiated.  
Little did they know, they both got enough satisfaction from each other without ever revealing how to the curious public. What would they say if they knew the two K-pop princess were secretly fuck buddies behind the scenes? 

Minjeong inhaled the slow drag of her cigarette. The smoke shortly blew after in the nighttime breeze on Jimin’s forty story penthouse patio. Minjeong tossed the cig off the railings, not caring where it fell, someone else's problem now.  
She turned around and saw Jimin buttoning up her white and blue striped shirt, the extra large that draped down to her knees. Her now short black hair blew lightly in the wind and Minjeong chuckled.  
“You look like an old hag with that cut.”  
Jimin didn’t mind the comment, “I heard they’re wanting to dye you grey like a grandma next comeback. Thoughts?”  
“It’s fucking heinous.” Minjeong spat.  
“Then it suits you.”  
Minjeong tapped her middle finger along the dusty rail and eyed Jimin like her prey. Jimin looked back and maintained a tense, challenging eye contact with her. The two superstars stared each other down, their breathing increasing with each passing second their eyes stayed locked.  
“Your eyes say it all.”  
“Say what, Karina?”  
“They’re trying to look mean, intimidating and carless. But I see deeper.”  
“And what do you see.” Minjeong tested.  
Jimin smirked dangerously, “Pathetic lust. An animal that keeps running back to the one she hates the most because it makes her scream uncontrollably.”  
Minjeong only raised a brow and tried to hide the hitch in her breath at Jimin’s words. Jimin noticed and chuckled deeply, sending strong shivers down Minjeong’s spine.  
Jimin got up and slowly approached the woman leaning against a rail. When she got close enough, she wrapped a nimble hand around Minjeong’s slender neck and breathed into her ear.  
“You don’t even fight it. You’re not even ashamed to be in the open on the patio, knowing someone might look up and see Korea’s second biggest star in the grip of her rival.” “Second biggest?!” Minjeong spat in disgust, “Who are you to decide?”  
Jimin’s hands slinked around to the back of her neck where she grabbed some skin at the scruff like a dog. Minejong huffed and tried to push Jimin away with her hands but she stayed and smiled at the little fight.  
“You are, aren't you? Your last album sales says it pretty clearly.”  
Minjeong pushed Jimin back into the master bedroom and onto the messy sheets. They were rumpled, pushed all over and in a state of disaster. With Jimin sprawled out on the white sheets, Minjeong leaned down to kiss the other furiously, a hand tight on Jimin’s hip bone so she wouldn’t leave.  
“You think you’re the one in charge?” Minjeong said in little moments of reprise from the fiery kiss, “Think you’re the king in this?”  
“Mm. The way you fight me tells me I am.” Jimin grinned to tease Minjeong, “You know I’m the one in charge, that’s why you always fight me so hard.”  
Minjeong grunted in anger and ripped Jimin’s dress shirt in half, sending the white buttons flying to the messy ground already filled with loose clothes and discarded pillows. She dove her face into Jimin’s left breast and nipped at the sensitive nipple.  
Jimin flinched at the sharp pain and gasped for air. Below her, Minjeong smiled in victory looking at Jimin’s flushed face and continued to love the nub aggressively.  
“Oh you think you have control?” Jimin said back, “You’re the one whorshipping my body… Giving me the pleasure I want.”  
Jimin lifted her arms above her head, exposing more of her admired body to Minjeong who gleefully explored. Her soft tongue and lips traced across her flat stomach, worshipping the smooth skin which had people melting in the seats at Jimin’s concerts. Minjeong secretly felt proud that she was the only one to see this desired body, to be part with what millions of fans desired.  
“Oh right there…” Jimin mumbled darkly when Minjeong’s chin touched the beginning of her pelvic bone. Slowly, Minjeong dipped lower until her tongue was gently giving the first licks to her core and Jimin’s body jerked.  
Minjeong always kept her eyes wide open during this, wanting to watch Jimin slowly lose control over the pleasure she could give. It filled her ego, sent a strong boost of pride within her watching the stoic singer and rapper lose herself.  
With Minjeong’s nose rubbing her clit and her tongue exploring inside her hole, Jimin bit her lip so hard it drew the taste of iron blood. Jimin gripped tightly onto the girl's hair, pulling some strands out and making Minjeong gasp but never let her mouth off from her pussy.  
“Oh keep going!” Jimin moaned and her voice pitched higher and higher.  
Minjeong placed a hand on Jimin’s breasts, fondling them while she poured all her might and effort in rubbing her face in her rival’s most intimate part. Her cheeks, chin and nose were drenched in her wetness but that only spurred Minjeong on more to continue, to get the reward of being the only person in Korea to make the beloved star cum.  
Jimin’s moans got uncontrollable and her body spasms. Minjeong’s hands left her breasts and gripped onto her hips, strong enough to leave deep bruises that’d have the stylists questioning the next day what she did. Minjeong used the muscle built up from training in the gym everyday to hold down the shaking girl’s body as a powerful orgasm rocked through her. Minjeong was lost for breath in the moments she came, never coming up for breath and remaining to stay buried in her beautiful core.  
When the powerful waves stopped, Jimin was only left with the pleasant aftershocks and sensitivity. Minjong knew this and lapped all the distinct nectar from an already overly sensitive Jimin. Jimin tried to push her head away but was too spent from hours before from fucking that she just let her lap it up.  
An unusual silence and calmness fell around them, the room quiet and they simply basked in the afterglow of another good round of sex.  
Until Jimin broke it.  
“Get out. I don’t want to see your face in the morning.” Jimin said with a sleepy voice.  
Minjeong knew she was close to passing out and they made a promise to never see the other sleep, never see each other when they were most vulnerable.  
Minjeong didn’t ask any further questions, just simply picked up her things and left in a discreet taxi and a disguise that no one would look twice at. 

“Winter?” Jimin gave a hearty laugh. She was shining bright on the TV. On an early morning show to promote a single arriving next Monday. The studio hosts were nice but eventually they asked about how she feels about releasing a single on the same day as the other princess of pop.  
“Oh Winter is not a threat. She’s barely scraping by with the meager scraps she’s making from her albums. I actually once told her agent after an award show that the long hiatuses between her comebacks damages her instead of benefits her. When the fans wait too long, they become bored and move onto the next rising star. It's just a simple fact no one can dispute, no ill intention, just plain facts.”  
“Disgusting.” Minjeong scowled. She was watching alongside her producers, managers and writers who watched on the projector the interview in the lunchroom.  
“You know she’s gonna do it every time you’re mentioned.” Her top sound mixer said, “Don’t take it too personally.”  
“Taking it personally?” Minjeong snapped back at him.  
“Seems like you do.”  
Minjeong growled, “Don't you have some chicken to eat?”  
He took it seriously and learned to shut up and stuff his mouth full of food.  
“This kind of drama on the TV only makes the tabloids more loud about finding flaws in me. It's like they listen to her bitch and take it seriously! It's unfair!”  
“To be fair… You’ve said pretty nasty things about her too.” Her manager spoke.  
“Oh Jihoon… Calling her a twat was well deserved.”  
“But you know… That was two years ago, when your first album was on top. I know you hate to think about it but your last two mini’s haven't done as well as hers, you should be careful about what you say to the media now or you’ll look like a jealous, bitter bitch.”  
Minjeong gave him a deathly glare, “Because I said she was a sellout last month? Just as Karina says, I’m saying nothing but facts. Just plain facts.”  
“It’ll hurt you to appear so bothered. I’d say just let Karina go on with this tirade, for now she’s got an ego as the top album seller but let’s be classy about taking her down. Let’s make this third full album one of the best, no fighting, no petty insults, only a classy, undisputable way of putting you on the top of the industry again.”  
She knew her manager was right, he’s been with her since she was an eager, little rookie fighting through tooth and nail to be a top soloist. Throughout the years, he’s known how to polish her image so perfectly that’d it’d be hard to find faults in her, hard to people to hate her with a passion.  
Unfortunately for him, Minjeong was typically a good listener with the only exception being another top soloist.  
With that one, it was harder to reason with Minjeong.  
“As much as I hate to play nice with her… You’re right.” Minjeong shook her head and stood up from her spinning black chair to address the lunch room, “Break is cut short. Second that clock hits Twelve thirty we’re back in the studio until nine. We gotta work hard to get the best results.”  
With most people leaving early to avoid awarkly eating with the demanding boss, Minjeong was shortly left alone in the lunch room and she looked out the window to see the sprawling urban jungle of Seoul. Above was the projector and Jimin was still in the interview. Minjeong took the remote and turned the volume higher, curious to what she’d say before leaving the show.  
“The single will come and you’ll be blown away by it. To be honest, I’ve heard enough rumours about delays on Winter’s end that I bet you’ll only be hearing my song that day, not hers.”  
Minjeong raised her brow and watched in anger at the hosts looking shocked.  
“But I thought it was to come along with your single? To compete.” A woman asked.  
“It was to be a promotional single for the big album later on but they’re behind schedule. I wouldn’t hope for a single from her next week, don’t count your breath. But let’s say… Even if there was, she wouldn’t be able to top me.”  
Minjeong smirked dangerously.  
“Let’s see about that.”

It was a luxurious gala, an after party for a rich art exhibit by an idol hoping to branch into new industries. Minjoeng didn’t bother to see the art, but she knew Jimin went, she always was an art snob believing her knowledge of random artists put her on a pedestal.  
When Minjeong arrived on the red carpet in her long, tight and sleeveless black dress the camera’s lights flashed rapidly and she was once again the center of attention. Her conservative parents often thought she was an attention whore, a slut for any camera on her which Minjeong argued furiously about.  
But who cared about them, they were the ones to blame for the fame with selling their ten year old to a company and slave contract so young.  
But she couldn’t deny the glee that erupted inside her chest when all the reporters were laser focused on her.  
That was until they switched focus and Minjeong turned to the hall doors with a scowl when she saw who they had switched to.  
Karina.  
With a new short bob with straight bangs that Minjeong thought was dead ugly, she stood in a long, tight and sparkly red dress. Bold makeup and a pearly smile that shined in the night. Minjeong couldn’t deny she looked gorgeous aside from the old woman’s hair.  
Gracefully, Jimin strolled down the red stairs and onto the same carpet where Minjeong was. They stood six feet apart and both posed similarly for the cameras. Reporters were torn on who to focus on, some took shots of the both of them and some stayed focused on one celebrity the whole time.  
Through fake smiles and extravagant poses, they both were challenging each other in a popularity contest.  
“I think you’re losing.” Jimin said through gritted teeth, so tense that no one noticed she spoke.  
“You may be the hot shit now but I’ve held this industry longer than you have.”  
Jimin quirked a brow, “You really think because you were on top with sales three years ago that nothing has changed? That the people aren’t slowly moving on?”  
Minjeong had nothing to say for once, but when she did, Jimin was already moving back into the gala hall.  
“Don’t bother. You know the truth.”  
The reporters and cameraman were left hungry for more of Karina’s beauty and all attention shifted from Minjeong to her. The crowd huddled over, following the other beauty up the stairs and Minjeong was left standing alone and cold with no lights, no praise of attention being showered onto her.  
If she wasn’t ready to kill Jimin before, she definitely was now.  
So she picked up her phone from her small leather purse and went onto the conversation only used for setting up meetups and discussing times.  
She knew her text went through when Jimin stopped at the doors to quickly glance at her phone and stare back at a lonely Minjeong for a brief second before going into the gala to mingle with the other celebrities. 

Room 214 was where Minjeong found Jimin patiently waiting outside long after the mindless party for the elite was dying down at three in the morning. The second Minjeong stepped out of the red and old elevator, she saw Jimin and pounced. Jimin barely had time to open the door behind them but she did and fell backwards into the small hotel room. Minjeong was already on her lap, pinning her hands down to the floor and leaving Jimin gasping for air.  
“What business did you have revealing my delays. Huh?”  
Jimin only smiled with a naughty gaze, “The people were expecting you next Monday, they’ve been waiting for so long that they were so excited but now you’re going to disappointment with another hiatus I hear? It was only fair to share the truth.”  
Minjeong groaned and slammed Jimin’s back into the ground once again, making her gasp.  
“You have no right to share this with the public. You are not part of my team.”  
“But I am pretty close to you. I was the first one to touch you after all.”  
Suddenly, Jimin flipped them over and with Minjeong’s hand in hers and a knee bumping against Minjeong’s panties, Jimin enjoyed seeing Minjeong helpless.  
“You know I also wasn’t lying when I said you couldn’t top me. In whatever situation we’re in, I'm in control.”  
“No you’re not!” Minjeong said with fury.  
“Brave words coming from the girl in handcuffs.”  
Minjeong was so caught up in trying to break free from her body that she didn’t notice the locks on her wrists. Minjeong gasped and tried to free her hands but Jimin only picked her up like a princess and tossed her on the bed.  
“Don’t squirm anymore or I’ll tie you to the bedpost.”  
Minjeong smiled, “Is that a promise?”  
Jimin tilted her head, “Maybe.”  
Jimin began to slowly unzip the red dress making Minjeong squirm and rub her thighs together for any friction. Jimin could tell the agonizing effect this had and smirked devilishly.  
“You want to see more? What a beggar.”  
With a long zip, Jimin’s dress slowly slid off and she was soon in nothing but a black bar and panties. But just as quickly as Minjeong could lay eyes on the undergarments, they were also discarded and Minjeong could once again lay eyes on her supple body.  
She was practically drooling like a dog, staring her body up and down and Minjeong leaned forward to touch her but groaned when she remembered about her hands.  
“If you’re so against me being in control then how about we do something equal?”  
Minjeong looked excited, a smile tempting Jimin to continue with whatever knowing Minjeong would most likely love.  
“Pleasure me and I’ll pleasure you.”  
Jimin said that before sliding down onto her stomach and draping her taller but wider body across Minjeong’s soft and naked skin. Soon enough, Minjeong was greeted with Jimin’s bare pussy, only with a few short hairs around it and it was right in her face. Minjeong didn’t want to rush everything, rather wanted to take some time to admire what others had no luxury viewing.  
“Doing it at the same time?” Minjeong smirked and breathed lightly onto her core.  
Karina did the same to Minjeong and rested her chin on her pelvis before speaking back.  
“On the count to three we’ll begin.”  
“One…” Jimin whispered and Minjeong gulped.  
“Two…”  
Just before it hit three, Minjeong’s phone rang and she quickly glanced over to see it was her manager.  
“Oh ignore it.” Jimin whined.  
Minjeong kept looking back however, curious about how many messages he sent all with bold capitals letters saying ‘URGENT’. Something she should probably take very seriously but right now, she had heaven on Earth on the tip of her tongue.  
“Fuck it.”


	2. One to fall

Minjeong awoke to a messy hotel room. The shutter blinds barely let in any bright sunlight and Minjeong groggily checked her phone screen. She quickly lowered the brightness as it burned in the dark room.

12:54pm

Twenty missed calls 

Minjeong’s tired eyes immediately blew wide as her manager had been texting her ever since she retreated into this room with Jimin. And of course, said woman was nowhere to be found, not a trace of any clothing left behind, it was as if she wasn’t there. It was the promise they'd made, to never leave a trace of the other afterward.  
“Shit.” Minjeong jumped out of bed with wobbling legs. She honestly could not remember most of the night in detail, just vaguely recalls a lot of pleasure and screaming. They kept their room near black that time, they couldn’t see much of each other’s faces unless they locked lips in a heated exchange. 

But Minjeong had enough of recounting the night before, she didn’t like admitting it but she always knew when waking up after those flings that they were the best she'd ever felt. Not that she’s felt much different from anyone else, a fact she hated that Jimin knew and took in great pride.   
With a duffle bag and some black sweats and hoodie over her nude body, Minjeong left the room in a hurry and a lowered hat. But not before she left some coins for the poor cleaning ladies about the face the dreadful bed. Outside, people were still crowding the newly formed gallery outside so she rapidly rushed out the sketchy backdoors and into a taxi who didn’t ask many questions.   
She couldn’t ask for anything better. Complete and utter silence as a piercing headache raged on.

“What’s the reason with the spam, huh?” Minjeong said with a yawn to Jihoon. She'd stumbled her way into the elevator of the company building and into his office where he was waiting alone.

Her manager tried to hide his shock at her awful state, for a top performer, being spotted like this was jaw dropping. Minjeong’s eyes were red, hair knotted and her posture slouched with a little limp to her stride. Jihoon noticed the limp and tried not to let his mind wander into filthier places, wanting to purge those thoughts in a fire as soon as possible. He couldn't think of a client that way.

“Wow.”

“Don’t need to say anything. I know.” Minjeong scowled, “Now are you gonna tell me what’s with the spam?”  
She could tell his hesitancy in his tense body language. Jihoon coughed into his elbow and took a deep gulp.   
“The single… It's been leaked.” 

Minjeong only rolled her eyes in disbelief, “That’s the giant news? This has happened before and all it creates is earlier hype.”  
“No no that’s not it.” Jihoon shook his head.  
“Well then spit it out!” Minjeong snapped in anger, “I’ve been up all night and desperately need some sleep and if I have to stand here listening to you bullshit the truth then I’m leaving. Don’t care how ‘urgent’ this is.” 

“Frankly, the reception is horrible. Fans, news and any asshole with a pen, paper or access to a social media site is calling it one of the biggest disappointments.”   
Minjeong’s world stopped spinning. Her singles, albums, any release really has been nothing but praised as perfect by the adoring public. This should never happen, she was at the top of her game with strong hold in the musical industry. How could they hate it? How could she fail at what she was born to do? It was a strong blow to her character that many probably wouldn't understand.

“Hate it?” Minjeong said breathlessly. 

“Calling it, unfinished, messy and in desperate need of work. Well to be fair, it was supposed to have more days in production but someone spilled it early.”   
“Someone, huh?” Minjeong trailed, her overwhelmed head immediately went to one conclusion but even for her, that’d be a pretty low blow.  
“Oh no.” Jihoon said in worry, “You’re not thinking it's Karina?”

“Well it’d be a perfect plan to beat down her competition! It makes sense to kill the enemy before they even get a chance to promote alongside her.”  
“Winter!” Jihoon barked, “You’re letting your strange personal feud get in the way of rational thinking. Karina, no matter how bitchy she can be has never stooped to these levels. You can’t blame everything on her, I don’t think she’s at fault. There's been times before where you've realsed on similar dates and she's never sabotaged you. You know she likes that kind of competition."

“Well then who is?” Minjeong crossed her arms, “Fucking tell me so we can make some statement before shit gets out of control.”  
“That… I don’t know.”  
“Well then don’t limit your options.” Minjeong said in a dangerous voice, “If we wanna play detective, then we need to consider everyone.”

Out in the street, Minjeong stepped into a little café out of raw hunger. She didn’t care about the brand, food or reputation. She was hungover, tired and starving for something cheap and quick. The little store was busy with many couples sitting and drinking tasty lattes or students on their fifth cup furiously smashing the keys on their laptops. As she scarfed down on a bagel and blueberry muffin on a table near the window, her almost dead phone vibrated and she checked to see the all too familiar sender. 

“As if my day couldn’t get any better! :)”   
“Since when do we text? And don’t smile, I know you did it.”  
“You know for once I’m clueless, even if I tried I don’t think I’d come up with this.”

Minjeong’s finger stopped tapping, curious at the reply.   
“Lie all you want, even if it was one of your employees you’re still responsible.”  
“You know, Winter.” Jimin sent and began typing a longer message that Minjeong waited a while for.  
“Trust me. I did nothing.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Minjeong furiously typed back, “And how do I trust you? You expect me to believe this?  
“Eh. I know it seems a bit nuts but I got curious when I checked your phone in the morning while you were asleep.”  
“You snooped on my phone?!” Minjeong sent but Jimin didn’t acknowledge it. 

“I did some digging and thankfully my legal team is much better than yours and I found the culprit. I’d give you the information but for a price.”  
“Oh you sneaky bitch.” Minjeong’s antipathy was strong even in a few words, “Leading me into a sinkhole, your trap all for your own gain. You probably don’t even have the information, you’re fabricating this to make me trust you and then you’ll bite me in the ass.”

“Sounds like a lovely time. I’m not saying I’m easy to trust, far fucking from it but maybe I wanna try something different this time, work together and then fight.”  
“Hmmm.” Minjeong pretended to think, “No. You just want more drama in the media. You’re planning something I can feel, you’re hiding a blade under your sleeve that you’ll stab me in the back with.”

“Oh but if I did, who’d fuck me so wonderfully at night? I don’t want to get rid of you Winter, just want to have some more fun, even if it means interacting more in the public eye, taking this little fling we have into new directions.”  
Minjeong tried to contain her laughter in public, “Bored of me already? Is tying me up to a post and calling a slut too vanilla for you? Pervert. I’d say find some other woman to be yours but I think I’d do you better.”

A complex way to hide stating the obvious, the thought of another touching Jimin made Minjeong’s blood spiral out of control, made it flood in anger and flush her face. She wanted to see nothing of that, Jimin’s body was hers alone, never to be another’s. 

“Just wanna spend more time with you.” 

That reply made Minjeong freeze for the second time today. It must’ve been something in the sky fucking with her, turning things she knew upside. First, her never failing music to suddenly be slandered and now her arch rival sounding oddly sweet wanting to see her more often? No. It was a trick, a rouse into something darker.   
But Minjeong couldn’t deny what her heart yearned for. Every logical thought in her head was screaming to her body to stop, to shut down her request with a cold hearted goodbye and end it. But she still typed, still reached out to her because the desire to see Jimin more often was there, it was trapped under bolted iron doors of resentment but Minjeong couldn’t deny it was there. 

“Ok. But you initiate this shit. Not my responsibility.”   
Minjeong slapped her forehead and leaned back in her chair. She called herself an idiot inside her torn mind. She needed to stop being so weak to Jimin’s advances, toughen up for outer and inner skin from falling dangerously into her seductive nest. But things weren’t so simple when your body was madly in love with the numerous nights spend tangled between sheets with her. 

“Oh you’re too easy, Minjeong… I look forward to seeing your pretty face more often.” 

Minjeong couldn’t muster a response, not even her insults were that good, nothing that warranted sending a reply.   
So she threw the phone back on the table, not knowing how close it was to the edge before it fell off and the screen cracked into thousands of tiny glass pieces. 

Jimin pulled out the hearty food from the oven with her tacky pink polka dot mitts. They were a gift from her mother a long time ago and she couldn't part with them. Her mother was patiently waiting at the dining table. She was rapidly aging, barely able to walk on her own without some help but Jimin, no matter how busy her schedule got, was always there to comfort the woman who raised her. She deserved all the aid for how much she helped to develop her daughter’s successful career. 

“Jimin-ah.” Mother Yoo spoke, “Are you making efforts with Minjeong?”  
“Yes, Eomma.” Jimin put the meal down in the center of the table. It was just them for the night, no siblings and no father around for extra company. But those were the norms they’d grown accustomed to. 

“I recently asked her to see each other more often. She was reluctant but she agreed.”  
“Good.” Mother Yoo smiled with no teeth, “I’ve always liked her to most. Much more than that Uchinaga girl.”   
“Eomma…” Jimin said with discomfort, “That was so short and long ago. I told you not to speak about it.”  
“But it serves as a good reminder why you need to keep Minjeong in your life, Jimin-ah. You’ll never get another girl like her.”

Jimin swallowed the warm, tasty food slowly and pleasant images of a younger Minjeong, when they first met in elementary school popped up. In those memories, she was smiling so wide that the sun would cower away in shame. Minjeong loved to run around the playground multiple times, always having the energy of a jumping bean which Jimin struggled to keep up with. Minjeong collected beetles as pets that Jimin would be frightened to touch. Minjeong also used to climb trees with Jimin always falling down but eventually getting help to the top with a sweet Minjeong. But that was her Minjeong, a one of a kind diamond that a younger Jimin followed like a puppy does its master.   
Which still speaks true to this day. 

“I know. But things are different now. Work, media and competition takes over. I like Minjeong but things might never work between us.”  
“But Jimin-ah.” Mother Yoo said tenderly and caressed her daughter's porcelain hand, “I know you love her. You always have. If you really do and she loves you back, why stop because of the world. Take what is yours.”

Jimin gave a bitter smile, one with years of disappointment laced behind it.   
“I know eomma.” Jimin said just to shut her up, “I know.”  
“Now, let’s talk about anything but Minjeong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short I know.


	3. Lost in doubt (M)

In a grand theatre, the newest expected hit was premiering early for only a select few. If you got the invitation, you’ve been welcomed into a prestigious group of directors, critics and producers all watching the new film eagerly. 

Jimin loved the classy style of the venue, all emptied of regular customers for the VIP’s all decked in lavish gold dresses or spiffy black tuxedos. Jimin strolled through the big, red leather doors and into the lobby where the champagne was already running low. 

Jimin fiddled with the platinum tickets in her hands. She knew Minjeong wasn’t interested in art house films like she was but why did she even think about it? This was all for some extra headlines, more publicity so no one forgot her name.  
She made her way over to the bar and ordered a 6oz of the house. The bartender placed it on the quartz counter and Jimin picked it up with her lacy black gloves and took a savory sip of the red drink. 

“Don’t drink too much or you’ll forget the movie.”

Jimin immediately turned her head to that familiar voice and saw Minjeong, sitting on a white barstool with her smooth and long legs on display. She wore a short lavender dress with ruffles on the shoulders and hem. Jimin smirked and looked but didn’t pull up a chair, not just yet. 

“Surprised you came early. I thought you hated these snobbish gatherings.”  
Minjeong snorted, “I came a bit late. You were the late one.”  
“So you waited for me. How sweet.” Jimin smiled teasingly.  
Minjeong gave Jimin a long look, her eyes trailing up from her black heels to then meet Jimin’s dark eyes. 

“A short, tight black dress? Could you be anymore plain?”  
“There’s such an art to simple beauty. Maybe it's just above your intelligence.”  
Bravely, Minjeong rose from her bar seat and came almost nose to nose with the other. Around them, people began to take notice of two top idols, known for their rivalry now being close enough to lock lips.  
“I’m smarter than you think. Sneakier too and I wanna prove it to you.”  
Jimin raised a neatly shaped brow, “Where?”  
“You don’t need to know. Are we sitting together?”

Jimin glanced at the shining tickets and showed them to Minjeong.  
“Row D14 and 13. Show’s gonna start soon so don’t leave me hanging.”  
Jimin turned away from Minjeong with an alluring sway of her hips. She glanced back once to Minjeong with a wink and smirk that nobody else noticed, it was too subtle. 

Minjeong sighed and crumpled back down to her barstool and behind her, the bartender poured another spirit into a new, polished glass for her.  
“Discussing a collaboration?” The bartender cheekily grinned, “Can we expect something new soon?”

Minjeong rolled her eyes, “That’s none of your business.”

She yanked out some cash from her little white and gold purse and slid it to the bartender. Minjeong took her drink and stumbled around the venue looking for the premiere room. 

She couldn’t wait to give Jimin something she wouldn’t forget.

To Minjeong, the pretentious drama droned on for eternity but beside her, Jimin was entranced, the reflection of the screen shining in her captivated eyes. Minjeong wiggled around in her black leather seat, her arm always trying to inch closer to Jimin the film but she’d flinch at something riveting and Minjeong would have to start over again. 

In the dark light, no one noticed what her hands were doing, nor could they really notice who they were. Minjeong smiled devilishly, revealing in the freedom she possessed. 

Minjeong crept a nimble hand up Jimin’s thigh and rested upon her pelvis. Jimin’s eyes were finally taken off the boring screen and she looked to Minjeong with confusion. 

“What?” She leaned in to whisper.  
“You’re not this stupid, Jimin.”

“Oh?” Jimin said, mind still lost in the film’s plot to truly get Minjeong’s motives.  
That’s until the screen switched to a daylight scene and she could see Minjeong’s lusty eyes, the tongue swiping across her upper lip and the pretty blush adorning her neck and cheeks. Jimin melted when gazing into those deep eyes, switching gears from one amazing picture to another. 

“You said you wanted to see me more often? I can give you me, no matter where we are.” Minjeong barely said above a whisper, not wanting to piss off a bunch of old, art snobs engrossed in some period drama. 

“Oh I meant something different.” 

Minjeong laughed quietly and without changing her expression, rode her hand further up her tight dress and approached her warm and moist panties. 

“I’d say otherwise.”  
Jimin fought to close her legs but squeezing around Minjeong’s hand only made Minjeong rub her palm against her clit, the friction exciting. Jimin huffed and adjusted herself in her seat, Minjeong’s palm losing its desired place.  
“You don’t control me.” Jimin said sternly. 

“Oh yes I do.”  
Minjeong aggressively surged her hand forward and rubbed Jimin’s clothed clit, already feeling some wetness make the cotton turn damp. Jimin huffed again and she clearly struggled to hide her emotion, hide her soft moans from escaping.  
“Do you wanna get caught and called a pervert?” 

“Am I really the pervert here?” Minjeong asked, her fingers slowly creeping closer to diving inside her panties and touching her head on, “I’m not the one who invites my fuckbuddy out more often so she can fuck her in public. Exhibionist much?”  
Jimin’s eyes snapped open and before she could utter her response, Minjeong plunged a finger deep inside her warmth and Jimin was lost for words and breath. Her body shook and melted into her seat, finding no reason or strength to fight back the pleasure Minjeong could give. 

“You can’t even deny it. You love it.”

Minjeong added another finger into the mix, knowing that’s all Jimin liked to take and started thrusting more vigorously. Gently, Minjeong put her other hand on Jimin’s lax jaw and turned her head to focus on the screen. Minjeong watched Jimin struggle to keep her blissed out eyes open. 

“Thought you loved this movie?” Minjeong chuckled and gave a harsh thrust of her fingers, “Why are you so distracted?”

Jimin bit the bottom of her lip and hard. Typically, she enjoyed making Minjeong cry from frustration of the incredible pleasure but once in a while, she liked being on the other end. And Minjeong was being relentless, fucking her hard and Jimin thanked the loud speakers in this theater for masking the probably gushing sounds coming from her vagina. Jimin gripped onto her arm chair and clenched tightly as Minjeong curved upwards and began caressing her g-spot. 

Minjeong must have read her mind as she wrapped a hand around Jimin’s mouth right before she was about to release an obvious moan. Minjeong herself was rubbing her legs together, trying to find any stimulation while also not stopping to pleasure Jimin.  
But Jimin couldn’t last long since Minjeong just kept attacking and attacking her more pleasurable spot. Jimin bit onto Minjeong’s fingers hard and gripped the armrest tightly as she made Minjeong’s fingers even more soaked, probably to come out with wrinkles from the wetness. 

But Minjeong didn’t leave, even after the little trembles had ended and chose to stay buried inside. Jimin first found it a little uncomfortable once the intense arousal was done but when she tried to move, Minjeong forced her down.  
“I like it here.”  
Jimin smiled, “Buried inside me?”

Minjeong didn’t face her, “It’s warm. Feels like I’m coming home.” She said with a poker face.  
Jimin once again fought the urge to make a loud sound to alert the crowd but this time, it was a laugh.  
“Such a perv.”  
“You liked it.” 

Jimin was about to fight back but honestly, she was also pretty blissed out with something warm resting inside her and with the pleasant afterglow of a good orgasm, Jimin didn’t see why she needed to get tense again.

“Yeah. I did. Also. Make sure to take your fingers out before the lights come on. This is the last thing I need." 

In the parking lot where chauffeurs came to pick up their arrogant customers, Minjeong and Jimin were in a concrete stairwell and smoking their own cigarettes. Jimin stomped hers on the ground with her heel and looked to Minjeong who was only halfway done. 

They didn’t talk the whole time but something in their bodies yearned to be close, even if they spoke about nothing, they just wanted to be in the others presence.  
“You know. This really isn’t what I meant by being in public more often.”  
“Then what did you mean?” Minjeong glared, “Are you finally gonna rat yourself out?”

Jimin pondered on what to say, “Just sick of fucking in the dark. Wanna see your face in more daylight.”

“You know… You could just turn a light on. Doesn’t mean we have to do stuff in public more often. Unless you like the danger of anyone catching us.”  
Jimin shrugged her shoulders, “Can’t say it didn’t add another thrill.”  
“Oh so you really liked it?” Minjeong smiled, “Well that gives more opportunities. Endless fun with you.” 

Jimin didn’t acknowledge her much further and made her way to the emergency exit door that just led to the parking lot. Jimin saw Minjeong wasn’t done and stopped from leaving right then and there.  
“You want me to wait?”

Minjeong scoffed, “Since when?”

Jimin got the message and said a casual goodbye and left the grey and drab stairwell. Minjeong was left alone, cold in a small dress and only left with a cracked cell phone and a cig in between her damp fingers.  
Minjeong took one final pull of smoke before stomping it on the ground and heading out to the garage. Jimin didn’t leave long ago but she was nowhere to be seen. 

Not a problem for a suspicious Minjeong. 

“Yizhuo? Yizhuo I’m here!” Minjeong said while knocking on the white door.  
She heard the sound of multiple locks being undone and before she knew it, her lifelong friend appeared in front of her with open arms and a welcoming smile. 

“Minjeong!” Yizhuo smiled, “Come in!”

Minjeong leaned forward for a bear hug which Yizhuo always supplied in plenty.  
The girl lived alone in a tiny apartment but she made it a beautiful personal space with posters, knickknacks, paintings, little plants and more things she loved. Minjeong secretly adored coming here for downtime, it was a good escape from celebrity life once it got too invasive. 

“So… Why the late night phone?” Yizhuo said as they sat on her baby pink couch.  
“Oh man.” Minjeong rubbed her eyes, “I need some quick advice and then I’m gonna bolt.”

“But you just got here!” Yizhuo pouted. 

“Look I’m tired, just get me some tea and maybe I’ll crash here but I need your opinion first.”  
“Ok?”  
Minjeong sighed, “Me and Jimin…”  
“Got back together?” Yizhuo said with a wide smile. 

“Never!” Minjeong snapped, “It’s just… She recently said she wanted to see me often, which we never really do. What do you think she’s planning?”  
“Planning?” Yizhuo shook her head, “You’re thinking of her as some Bond spy with an agenda. What you two do in your careers does not affect your time outside of work together. Maybe she just wants to connect more? Nothing wrong with that right?”

Minjeong shrugged, “I find it doubtful she’d be that sweet.”  
“But Minjeong. Just because she and-”

“Shut it!” Minjeong quickly stopped her, “I don’t want to hear it. I already know the reason I have trust issues with her. Why say it again?”  
Yizhuo’s eyes turned downcast to her lap, “I’m sorry. But really, people change, maybe Jimin is.”

“You’ve got quite the hopeful view. I’ll consider what you said but, don’t be shocked if I’m right about her.”

The little living room felt stiff, the two people in it uncomfortable about the situation and confused about where to take it from here. Luckily, Yizhuo always had a plan to cheer Minjeong up, it happened quite a lot when she was burned out by messy schedules and back to back concerts. 

“Let’s get some tea! Strawberry or Orange?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably will be updated every second to third day. Got work and all that.


	4. My mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning. Slight injury at the end.

“We’ll have to delay the album until further notice. Until this negative reception dies down.”

Minjeong scoffed at Jihoon’s words. They were in the meeting room of their floor. Outside the floor to ceiling window, the sprawling landscape of downtown Seoul reminded them of the lap of luxury they resided in. And Minjeong wasn’t keen on missing out on any payment, even if it meant album revenue being delayed by one month, she still hated missing out on that addicting coin. 

“And what will that do? Give Karina more time to promote?”

“We can’t release an album so soon after that leak. Plus, we’re behind schedule for the B-sides.”

“And why is that?” Minjeong snarled, “Are my producers starting to lose their touch? Failing to recreate the hits they made years ago?”

The room fell into a deep silence, one that was filled with bubbling tension and Minjeong could tell someone was about to snap.   
“You know what? You rushing the team isn’t doing us any favours.”

Minjeong personally didn’t know many of her producers and writers so when this young man spoke, she had no clue of his name.

“And who are you?”

“Ilhoon. Art needs time to develop. You can’t be rushing us to make a studio album in three months. That’s insanity! Ask any other company and they’ll tell you these projects take much longer to develop. You always leaning over our shoulder with tighter deadlines and threats isn’t encouraging us, it's making us feel rushed and that’s why we’re producing mediocre songs. They need more time to cook and then they’ll be better but when you rush, it comes out half baked.”

Minjeong was tapping her index finger against the sleek black table furiously.   
“It doesn’t matter how amazing the songs turn out, if we make fans wait too long, they’ll lose interest. What wins the Daesangs is the popular, no one cares about the obscure but artistic B-side. What we need are popular, catchy songs to come out fast.”

“But Minjeong…” Jihoon spoke, “I know in the past, fans were upset with how long the album took but what mattered is that once it came out, no one was disappointed. This is the first time they’ve been disappointed in you. Do you really now want to sacrifice your perfect image by rushing songs and selling out?”  
“Selling out?” Minjeong yelled back. 

“Selling out for a quick buck? You are.” Jihoon scolded, “Imagine the uproar if fans had to wait longer for an album for it only to come out and be terrible? Whether you like it or not, you cannot rush this because if you do, the result may be worse than you expected. Trust your team for once.”

The disgusted looks being thrown toward her made her fume inside. Minjeong never faced this opposition before, but then again, Karina wasn’t such a big threat back when they took much longer to produce quality albums. They’re motto was always quality over quantity but Karina’s influence in the industry was too prevalent to ignore. If they waited, she may just take over. 

“I want to be the first female million seller with an album.” Minjeong said regally, “I will not wait to watch another take that achievement. This is what we’ve been building to all my career. My fanbase is enormous, the public knows me, get this album out fast and we’ll get that title. I want it.”

“Minjeong.” Jihoon said in defeat, “You can’t be serious. After everything we told you.”

“I am. End of discussion.” 

Minjeong found comfort in retail therapy, blowing thousands in one excursion to a beautiful mall. Minjeong already carried bags on her shoulders, arms and tips of her fingers but she needed more. 

Her phone buzzed and that name popped up. Minjeong scowled but remembered their little agreement and picked up, squishing the phone between her ear and hunched up shoulder. 

“What do you want?”  
“Watching you pretend to have purpose. Tossing away thousands into a dress so you feel more important than you are.”

Minjeong snapped her head around and saw Jimin, sitting by a rushing fountain with sunglasses hiding her eyes and a phone in her hand. The black haired woman smiled when they made eye contact and Minjeong couldn’t help but to stomp over. 

“So you’re spying on me now?!”

“No. Just studying what you do.”

“Can I not have even an hour to myself?!”

Jimin rose from the fountain and touched Minjeong gently on the shoulder. She took some bags off her and smiled.   
“That’s weird.” Minjeong frowned.   
“I planned a little shopping spree together.”   
Minjeong laughed loudly, people stopping to wonder why that woman was laughing like a maniac.

“Liar! C’mon just spit it out, what do you want? Money? My house? My company? My producers? Oh please take them, they're shit anyway.”

“Obviously you’re not getting any sleep. You’re up thinking of conspiracies about me. That’s cute, am I always on your mind?” Jimin teased her chin.   
Minjeong slapped the hand away and became even more angry at Jimin’s cocky grin but she couldn’t deny how attractive that arrogance was. 

“What did you have in mind?”  
“Well first. Let’s ditch the disguises.” Jimin said as she threw off their sunglasses, hats and masks, “If we're gonna have fun with the public why hide ourselves?”  
“Oh. You want some publicity.” 

“I could get publicity with literally anyone. But I choose you because I like you.”  
Minjeong stood taken aback and confused, “Is that a joke?”  
“Oh I don’t like you in that way, just like playing with you.”

A crowd began to form around the gushing fountain underneath a bright skylight and Minjeong saw the opportunity to gain some traction. Even if it had to be with her rival, any publicity was publicity. With the recent disappointment of her leaked single, anything would help to distract people from that fiasco. 

“Shall we begin?” Jimin asked.   
“Eh why not.”

The two stars only teased the cameras with occasional glances and the rare confident smirk. They both knew the crowd got larger and larger with each store they left, the employees would start jabbering on social media and flocks came to see the legendary rivals apparently enjoying each other's company. 

Jimin and Minjeong never got too close, stood far apart while in see through elevators and rarely looked at the same clothes while in the store together. They always left the crowd more curious than before, more hungry for answers and more of these rare interactions. 

At a high end jewelry store, Jimin and Minjeong were both fascinated by a blue sapphire ring and clamour to the display to gawk at it.   
“It’s enchanting.” Jimin said in awe.  
“Stop using fancy words.”

“If enchanting is a fancy word did you even complete basic literature?”  
The older shopkeeper interrupted by gently taking the ring out and illuminating the colors under a bright light. 

“It’s purpose is for lovers yearning for forgiveness. Often, divorced couples or those in trouble get this to make amends. This ring shows that the other knows their mistakes and the troubles the two went through but that their love and   
forgiveness prevailed above all else.”

“That doesn’t really happen.” Minjeong rolled her eyes.   
“It does. Sadly not often but when love prevails, it brings two souls to share the most understanding and deep bond there is.” 

“That’s truly lovely.”

Minjeong punched Jimin on the shoulder and she jolted, “Don’t be such a hopeless romantic. You know that shit isn’t real.”

“Why not?” Jimin said, “Can’t you let me believe what I want to believe?”  
Minjeong was quiet as she continued talking with the shopkeeper. She recently hasn’t seen Jimin so interested in the idea of true love, Minjeong thought their arrangement made it pretty clear that would never happen for either of them. They were too spiteful of each other to be lovers but too possessive to let the other find a real relationship. 

Minjeong pretended to check her phone and find an urgent text, “Jimin. I’m gonna go. Work calls for me.”

“But we just-”

Minjeong didn’t turn back to stop to hear what else she had to say. Minjeong simply walked with all her bags and out of the store, past the eager crowds all flashing their lens onto her but she was disinterested. Normally she would stop to pose and bask in the attention but now, all she wanted was to hop into her car and drive far away. 

Minjeong knew as soon as she’d step into work, there’d be people all over her ass for the outing but she honestly didn’t expect it to happen this fast. 

Once the elevator opened to the 30th floor, the office cubicles were abandoned and everyone was waiting at the elevator with newspapers in their hands. Others had the articles and pictures on their phones and the news was shoved right into Minjeong’s face. Everyone started talking at once and Minjeong couldn’t handle all they questioned. 

“Seriously! You yell at us to fight against Karina yet you do this?”  
“Any reason for this?!”  
“Hanging out with the enemy?”  
“Are you lying to us?”

Minjeong made it further onto the floor, enough to be in front of her private office door before she snapped. 

“Enough!” 

The office became quiet and the frustrated mob all stood in silence, waiting impatiently for her explanation. 

“Give me some time.” Minjeong said before shutting her office door.   
Outside, she heard them start talking again and she sank down to the floor. Minjeong almost crawled her way to her spinning black chair and stared out the window. She was about to dial her manager but her fingers couldn’t find the motivation to enter the digits. She stared mindlessly out the window to the city while everyone knocked on her door outside and tried to peep through the blinds and see into her office. 

A page from her desk’s rotary phone broke the silence in her head and Minjeong immediately picked it up. 

“Hello?”  
Amongst the heavy chatter outside, her secretary phoned and tried yelling into the phone.   
“There’s someone outside the office for you. She says it's very important.”  
“Tell her I’ll see her later. I’m busy at the moment.”  
“Well… She says you’d be happy to see her. She’s refusing to leave, ma’am.”

She heard the lock of her office door jingle and this is when she remembered the only other person who had her keys in case of an emergency. The only friend she trusted with anything. 

Once it opened, Yizhuo stumbled in with her manager and secretary behind trying to stop her. Yizhuo took a moment to catch her breath before looking up to Minjeong with wide eyes and an excited smile. 

“Is it true!? You and Jimin have gotten back together?!”

Minjeong froze on spot and quickly stood from her chair to face her bewildered staff. Jihoon let go of his grip on Yizhuo who straightened out her crumpled pink shirt and ran to Minjeong eagerly. 

“Are you dating again?”  
“Dating!” Jihoon yelled.   
“They used to date in high school!” 

Minjeong wrapped a hand around Yizhuo’s yapping mouth and pinned her hands down to her table. 

“Minjeong! What’s this all about.”  
“We never dated, I have no idea who this woman even is.”

A look of shock and betrayal swan through Yizhuo’s big brown eyes and Minjeong’s heart slowly shattered piece by piece. Yizhuo bit down on her fingers and Minjeong let go all for Yizhuo to quickly spill more to the staff. 

“They dated in school, we’re the high school sweethearts everyone loves like in the movies! But they broke up and couldn’t get along but it looks like they’re dating aga-”

Before she could say anymore, Minjeong did the unthinkable and slammed her fist into her best friend's face hard. She didn’t have to do it again, one punch and Yizhuo was passing out like a light. Anything to stop this news from leaking, anything to prevent them from getting back together. 

“Minjeong…” She heard Jihoon snarl, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”


	5. A classy bastard (M)

“Yizhuo?” Minjeong asked quietly over the phone. The silence from the other end of the line was deafening. Minjeong stared at the caller id, watching the seconds of their call tick by without anything back. 

“Yizhuo I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean to do anything like that.”

“But you did.” Yizhuo said with a whimper. 

Minjeong was incredibly lucky Yizhuo was such a kind, forgiving person or else she may have had her head on a spike by now. Yizhuo chose to wallow in pain and never retaliate in anger, to her own detriment since she’d lock herself in her bathroom contemplating the whole ordeal. 

Minjeong was much faster, wanting to solve conflict quicker and get the obligated apology talk out of the way. 

“Minjeong… Please understand that I need to think about this a little longer.”  
“What is there to think about?” Minjeong snarled, “I made a mistake and I’m apologizing! If you sit in your fucking bathtub thinking of it this way and that way you’re putting more strain on yourself than needed. Can’t we solve this now?”

“Minjeong.” Yizhuo sighed, “That might be the way you deal with things but I’m not you. I need time to reflect, think about how to go on from here. We all cope differently.”

“Oh c’mon, Yizhuo. This is not that serious. Can’t you just accept an apology?”  
“The world doesn’t run according to how you think! I handle situations differently, can’t you accept that? And yes this is very serious. You hit me to shut me up! You harmed me? How is this not serious?”

Minjeong could sense her friend’s deep hurt across the line and made an attempt to reach out for her name but all she got back was soft whimpers and Yizhuo hanging up shortly after. 

Minjeong slumped in her bed, burying herself in many grey pillows to shield herself from the sunlight outside. It was only four in the afternoon but Minjeong felt like she had been up for three days. Her eyelids were fighting to stay open, her legs barely had energy and her shoulders slouched in exhaustion. Minjeong gripped her cellphone and began scrolling through her contact list to see if anyone else would be around to comfort her. 

But scrolling through the short list of mostly employees made her realize. 

She has no one else. 

“Something must be wrong.” Jimin stated while she watched her newest music video.

The title track was a flashy, futuristic concept with her dancing in a CGI heavy background in sparkly blue shorts and a silver crop top. Jimin couldn’t deny how stunning she looked basking in her true calling, dancing. Jimin’s body flowed naturally through the no vocal chorus, her moves powerful and bold like the song. Hiring a new producer benefitted her, it brought an interesting switch up to her normally elegant diva concept. This song, concept and video was a breath of fresh air, proving to the public that their top star could really perfect anything thrown at her.

But whenever she dropped a new video, she’d receive waves of bitter messages from her rival trashing every aspect of it. Jimin welcomed the texts as she had gotten used to them and began doing them herself. 

But Minjeong was silent, eerily silent about a comeback she’d been dreading for months for fear of Jimin’s rising power. 

“What do you mean?” The new producer, Kana asked. 

“I would expect Winter to be throwing a fit right on social media right now.” Jimin skipped over those secret texts only meant for her to see, “Where is the jealousy?”  
“Maybe she learned her lesson, learned her place.” Kana said it like it was a cold fact. 

Jimin smirked at the thought but even if it were true, she knew Minjeong wouldn’t go down without a fight. Minjeong would never accept Jimin on top, she’d scratch, hit and bitch until she was nothing more than a yapping dog. Even if Minjeong were to be cast on the streets as a nobody, she would still argue headstrong that Jimin is not on top. 

It wasn’t normal for her to be this quiet. 

“As lovely of a thought that is I don’t think she’d shut up this soon.”

“Well did you hear the rumor's?” Jimin’s top writer, Youngrae spoke from outside the recording booth door.  
“No? Well come in.” Jimin asked and shut down the laptop they were watching the video on to give him full attention. Any gossip about Minjeong is juicy, worthy of her undivided attention. 

“Winter assaulted someone.”

Jimin genuinely gasped, “What? That’s a huge accusation.”  
“Someone claiming to be her best friend came into her office, starting blabbering about something she didn’t like and Winter decked her. Knocked the girl out cold.”  
“A best friend?” Jimin asked, “Did anyone catch her name?”

“Yibong? Yizong? Something starting with Yi.”   
Jimin gripped the glass desk, connecting two dots that she didn’t feel comfortable with. 

“Um. That’s quite scandalous.” Jimin was lost for words. 

“Could you imagine the bad press if this got out?” Youngrae laughed, “She’s already losing the race this comeback season but with this news, she’s fucked for a few years! There’s no way with this transgression that she’ll ever get the million seller achievement first. I almost want to thank that girl for barging into her office, she gave us a perfect opportunity to win for good.”

“Win for good...” Jimin mumbled to herself. 

The opportunity was right there, presented on a silver platter almost too easy to be true. Jimin’s mind was a battle ground, her devil insisting that Minjeong means nothing to her anymore aside from a good fuck. The angel however cried foul, that winning this achievement should be honorable, no dirty work or cheating to be involved. If Jimin wants to win this title, she will do it professionally, so there will be no smearing of her name in the future when people wonder how she beat the darling Winter. 

But there was another component to this, one from another voice in her body that she had been ignoring for quite some time. Her heart cried danger, that this level of hesitation before ending Minjeong’s career could only mean one thing. 

She harbored some level of feeling to her enemy. A massive flaw in her grand plan.   
Jimin cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. 

“With all due respect, I wish to win with class. I will win by critical praise, public adoration and a clean image. In no universe will I take place in sabotage like this.”  
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Youngrae scoffed, “Winter did this to herself! Calling out a fault she made is not sabotage, it's simply pointing out the truth. Don’t fans have the right to find out who their precious ‘pop princess’ really is?”

Jimin paused, thinking deeply of what to say without causing any confusion as to why she’s being so kind to her competition.

“Well, let’s just say it is not in my character to expose someone’s personal business. Do you realize that if I start exposing secrets, it’ll raise suspicion to how I am finding this out, what are my motives and why I would play so dirty. The little shady comments on TV are fine, they're only about sales but personal life? I don’t want to cross that line.”

“Karina!” Youngrae raised his voice and Jimin immediately stood up to size him up. She glared at him with a dangerous promise in her dark eyes, though she was shorter, her posture and confidence exuded power, something no one should challenge. 

“This is my career, my image and my future. I will decide how I want to conduct it. I will win this title through class, elegance, nothing but sheer acclaim and sales that no one will question. You are in no position to decide how I run my public image. Do you think you are?”

“Ma’am I-” Youngrae stuttered. 

“If you don’t leave in five seconds I’ll have the entire security team of this building haul your sorry ass onto the street. Now get out of my sight, you’re way out of line.”

Needless to say, he ran, the one smart idea he had. Jimin soon as he ran and was left with her new producer, Kana staring at her with bewilderment. 

“I gotta say, I commend your attitude on this situation.”  
“I see you’re classy like me.” Jimin smiled. 

Kana smiled as well, “So many stars cheat their way to the top with nothing but bribery, promise of drugs and sex or creating fake scandals to ruin other stars’ chances. It's so tempting, I get where Youngrae is coming from but it's not the best way to rise.”

Jimin took a seat in the red seat next to Kana and relaxed, “Ah. It's so nice hearing someone who shares my opinion. I’m not a sellout, I’ll win with quality music, quality attitude and a record so clean it’ll be impossible for people to justify hating me.”

Kana stood up to open up her briefcase and when she was bending down, Jimin noticed the pleasant swell of her thighs and ass. Jimin gazed comfortably at Kana crouching down to dig through her case, the slacks she wore getting tighter and tighter the more she bent down to look for whatever she needed.   
When Kana stood back up, she slowly walked to Jimin and showed an unopened bottle of whiskey. 

“Fan of some hard liquor?”

Jimin shrugged with a sexy smirk, “I have my own addiction, my own nectar that I love to nurse from.”  
Kana without asking Jimin how much she wanted, grabbed some tall glasses and poured a hefty amount, enough to get even the toughest drinkers flat on their face.   
“This is another wonderful nectar. Drink up.”

An hour later in the small recording studio, Jimin poured the last remnants of the expensive whiskey bottle onto Kana’s bare vulva. Jimin licked her lips as the woman underneath her shivered when the cold liquid coated her already wet core. Kana rubbed her fingers through Jimin’s short black hair and begged tenderly.   
“Wanna see how they taste together?”

Jimin, already drunk from liquor and lust didn’t need more encouragement, she dived down to her vulva and gave her first long lick from her entrance to her throbbing clit. Kana was pinned down to the hardwood floor, her clothes scattered all over the small room and nothing but Jimin’s hand underneath her bum to raise her body up. 

Kana felt the bitter liquid drip down from her clitoris and drip to the floor but Jimin was there to lap up every drop and more. She was meticulous with her pleasure, making sure to give attention to every part of her. Kana was driven insane by how Jimin would be one second slowly kissing her inner thighs like a gentle and then devouring her pulsing clit the next like an animal.

When Jimin popped off from her clit for a second of breath, she rubbed her face all over her pussy, her cheeks, nose and mouth a wet mess but the wetter she was, the more Jimin was turned on to keep going. 

“Oh Karina…” Kana buried her hand in her hair to push her away, “It’s too much!”   
“You can handle it.” Jimin said coldly. 

She added a warm finger inside Kana and the woman trembled. Jimin could feel each ridge of her inner walls react to her finger elegantly gliding through. Jimin locked her mouth around her clit, lips and whatever else she could manage to suck hard while she thrusted through her canal. 

Kana’s thighs locked around her head, crushing her skull but Jimin would die a blissful woman if she passed out. Kana couldn’t decide what she wanted, one hand pushing her head away but her thighs keeping her close. Jimin was stronger anyway and held onto her, giving her the most carnal and loving pleasure while she screamed her name. 

“I’m cumming! I’m cumming!” Kana whined and her back rose from the hardwood flooring. 

Jimin stayed locked onto her pussy, feeling her finger becoming coated with more wetness, her delicious cum. Kana was on an intense high for thirty seconds and once she was bearing through the sensitive aftershocks, Jimin bent down and lapped up the whiskey, cum and wetness all into a flavorful cocktail. It was a new taste, a new mix of her favorite flavors that she’d be desperate to try again.   
So who was to tell her no?

“Kana… You’re so tasty.”

Kana giggled, that beautiful post orgasm glow on her rosy cheeks putting a smile on Jimin’s face, she always was happy when her woman was blissful from the pleasure she worked hard to give her for. 

“Good idea bringing the whiskey hey? I knew you’d be an excellent lover.”  
“I wanna taste you again.” Jimin said and flipped the producer over on her stomach. She raised her up on shaking legs and mindlessly played with her opening with her thumbs, smiling at how happy she is evident but her still dripping vagina.

“I’m sensitive!”

Jimin only laughed, “You’re very cute but can I tell you something. You must keep this a secret, no way can this ever get out.”

“Oh trust me.” Kana turned back to give her a reassuring look, “I know the scandal that would come from this, this is safe between us.”

Jimin wasn’t thinking much of the press, more of the little blonde devil that would have a meltdown if she knew about this. But who was she to dictate how Jimin would act when drunk and horny out of her mind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this ;)


	6. Heart Of Stone

Minjeong awoke amidst a pile of M&M wrappers, empty chip bags and some bottles of spirits drained empty. She stretched her sore and cramped shoulders above her head and turned to the city view and frowned. 

Her alarm clock blared an annoying shrill tune to rise up her so she unplugged the machine from its socket. Minjeong slumped back into her array of fluffy black pillows and got on her phone. All the social media sites were already in a positive uproar about the new music video, still blabbering about it in the thousands.

“Ah yes.” She spat, “The whole world is in love with Karina because she dances sexily, sings nice and has a lot of money for CGI. How fucking unique.” 

A call from a familiar woman swept the trending page of Twitter away and Minjeong eagerly pressed the answer button, already fuming for a little argument to motivate her to get out of bed. 

“Minjeong? This isn’t normal. I just dropped a new MV… Where’s the bitching?”   
Minjeong snickered at Jimin who sounded genuinely curious about her silence.   
“And what do you care? My life doesn’t revolve around your career, y’know?”

Minjeong grabbed her house remote and pressed a button to shut the blinds so she could change without the neighbors of other high-rises peaking in. She strolled into the bathroom fully naked with the phone squished between her ear and shoulder. 

“Aw has something happened to you?” Jimin teased, “Did my numbers finally piss you off enough to just lock yourself in? Shut down your fight?”

“You know I would never. That’s a promise I’d never break. But what would you know about promises? Loyalty is like a foreign concept to you.”

Minjeong couldn’t see while she was doing her morning face routine but on the other line, Jimin was sitting still in her bed while another woman freshened up in her shower. Jimin kept the phone away from the bathroom to not alert Minjeong of any other sounds. 

“See?” A vengeful tone came to Minjeong’s rough morning voice, “You can’t even respond. You know it's true.”

“You shouldn’t care about my promises or oaths, we’re not together, you have no control of what I do. I think Yizhuo is digging up old memories and they’re messing with your little head.”

Jimin clasped a hand over her mouth once she said that. She let that spill out of frustration. During a long pause of silence, the shower head shut off and the sounds of someone stepping out could clearly be heard. 

But Minjeong was too distracted with something else.   
“How do you know about that?” She said dangerously.   
“Forget I said anything.”

“No! Do you have a fucking mole in my company? Who’s telling you these things?!”  
Jimin tried to remain neutral, “By the sound of your voice, I can confirm everything is true.”  
“Who told you?!” Minjeong shouted, “Who fucking told you!?”

“Jimin-ah.” Kana said with an alluring smile once she stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a tight white towel, “Who’s that on the line?”

Jimin gritted her teeth and heard Minjeong yell incoherently on the other end.  
“And who the fuck is that?!”

Jimin quickly shoved the cellphone underneath the thick covers and shuffled on the bed to whisper to Kana who stepped closer in curiosity.   
“Another person.”

“My god I couldn’t imagine that.” Kana laughed, “You’re such a little player.”  
Despite Jimin’s serious expression, Kana took this as a sexy, charming feature and game to play along with.   
“You’re hiding us from each other?”

“No. I’m not seeing anyone else, this is a family member.”   
At that, Kana finally took the lie and nodded, “Oh. Sorry.” 

Kana scrambled out the bedroom to wander off into the living room to raid her fridge. Jimin unearthed the cellphone from the covers and could still hear Minjeong mumbling like a grumpy old man about who knows what. 

“Minjeong.”  
“Oh you finally responded.” She huffed. 

Oddly, Jimin found that little bratty huff almost endearing.   
“Listen, don’t wrap your pretty little head in all this. I only hear rumors' from other industry tyrants, not moles or rats. This isn’t the cold war, Minjeong. There’s no conspiracies and spying set against you.”

“Find that really hard to believe. You’ve done nothing but annoy me this morning. You know what?”

“What?” Jimin answered calmly.   
“Goodbye!” 

Once Minjeong hung up the phone, a wave of relief washed over her and she stepped happily into the warm shower. The soothing water trickling down her sore back was lovely and her thoughts were trying to drift anywhere else from Jimin.   
But sooner or later, it all comes back to her. No matter how confident Minjeong may seem when cutting her off, she always sheds some tears afterward, wishing her cold exterior reflected what she really felt. 

But it's hard to let go of who she thought was her soulmate, hard to forget about the pains of the past. 

But she’s learning to cope with it, since all her tears would just blend in with the shower water, she’d pretend they never happened once she exited the shower. 

While Minjeong was sulking in her own world, Jimin was sat still in bed gazing out the window while the nice smells of a home cooked meal from the kitchen wafted into the bedroom, tempting her. 

“Jimin! Come out now!” Kana sweetly called.   
For a moment, Jimin felt her legs protest, wanting to stay in bed and maybe phone her back. 

But eventually, her head won over and she made her way out the bedroom and into the dining room where she enjoyed a meal with a woman she could care less about. 

In the makeup chair, Minjeong sat with tired eyes as the lady dressed up her cheeks in a soft and sweet rosy pink. The older women were giggling with each other about their boyfriends and Minjeong tuned it out by staring at herself blankly in the mirror. Her manager hadn’t come to phone or see her the entire day and frankly, she was terrified of what he’d say to her once they met again. 

“You did not! Isn’t that cheating?” Some lady said with a scandalous shock. 

Her makeup woman shrugged, “He wasn’t treating me nice anyway. If he can’t do the job then I’ll find someone who can.”  
Immediately, Minjeong became alert into their conversation and jolted in her black spinning chair. 

“Cheating?”

“That’s what I said!” Minjeong turned to recognize her hairdresser sitting on a white couch, entertaining herself with this conversation before doing her hair for today’s magazine photoshoot. It wasn’t the biggest publisher but any gig was exposure, even if this wasn’t a high end brand, Jihoon accepted it much to Minjeong’s dismay. 

“Bah! As I said, if he can’t do the job right then I’ll find someone who can. If it doesn’t click in that department in your relationship then people have every right to break things off.” 

Minjeong slumped and her head began running through events this morning, where she could’ve sworn she heard a woman talking quite nicely in the background. But then the thought kept receding back in time to a moment she’d like to erase yet it seemed nothing would make her forget. 

“You know…” Minjeong’s face twisted, “If you’re unhappy with him then at least break it off before you go out fucking someone else. So long as you’re in a relationship, whether you like it or not you should stay faithful.”

“Oh Minjeong.” The makeup woman rolled her eyes, “I know you don’t get much when it comes to relationships, maybe because you’d had so little. But trust me, people do it all the time, experiment with someone else before knowing for sure they want to break the relationship off.”

“But it's unfair to the other person! At least tell him he’s not satisfying you before you go cheating!”

“I see him as a lost cause. Plus, you can’t control what other people do with their bodies or hearts. I'm my own person and I want to love another while supposedly being with him. It's his own fault for not loving me well enough. If I have to resort to others to find my pleasure, he should bear all the shame.”

The two women kept talking with another and Minjeong fell deathly quiet. She wanted nothing more than to sink into her chair and dissolve into nothing, where her insecurities and fears wouldn’t keep eating her alive where she felt like nothing but a broken shell. 

It almost worked when she simply fell asleep in the chair but the silence from her head was short lived after the two stylists lightly slapped her to wake her up.   
It seemed she had no escape from what guilts tried to consume her. 

In her office, Minjeong sat in her expensive chair with her manager and PR team standing around her desk. Yet she did not feel like she had any power, if anything she felt like she was in an integration room, where she was put on the spot to bear out many secrets. 

“Be honest, Winter. Are you seeing Karina?” Jihoon said coldly.   
“Why does it matter?”

“Because this would change the dynamic of your rivalry. It would also change how we approach Karina.”

“Why should it?” Minjeong asked, “Who I choose to see is none of your business. What we do does not affect our professional lives so why should it matter?”  
“You assaulted someone when she brought up this situation. You feel very strongly about her.”

“Once again, my private life is none of your business.”   
“Well as your company, we should be in the know-”

“As my company?” Minjeong bitterly laughed, “You have no ownership over me? Since when were you all to become my parents and start controlling a grown woman’s life? You all live your lives independently from the company, have private doings that you do not bring to work. I have those to, am I not allowed?”  
“Winter…” Jihoon snarled, “An affair between two of the country's biggest idols is a massive deal.”

“It shouldn’t be. They should mind their business.” Minjeong said. 

“But it is. We just want to know what is going on so that we can take all measures to prevent this from being exposed to the public. All we know is that you used to date in high school and something went wrong. What went wrong.”

Minjeong wanted to snap Jihoon’s neck for such an invasive question but it left Minjeong in a deep thought. Her shoulders slumped and a look of defeat came to her tired face. Minjeong shook her head and gave them an honest look. 

“I don’t know. And I won’t reveal our personal details since that is ours to share. All you will know is that we occasionally see each other now, so your job is to make sure no cameras are around when we’re attending an event together.”  
“Maybe you should text us when you’re about to meet.”

Minjeong shivered at the thought, the embarrassment of telling her manager when she’s about to have sex with her ex girlfriend.   
“No. That’s humiliating. Again, you don’t own me. Your only job is to shoo away cameras if we’re in public together. Got that.”

Reluctantly, Jihoon nodded and Minjeong stared him down with a promise of death in her eyes if she asked any more questions. 

“Now leave our personal business alone, you dick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the wait, work hours have been increasing and I've been trying to find time to balance many things at once. However, I'll have something else coming in the next few days so keep an eye out for that!


	7. Art of sinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little heavy so warning? Also I really look forward to the next chapter since it's gonna be about the past so please stay tuned ;)

The red blinking light of the screen flashed to a zero and Minjeong burst from underneath the camera's view with a smile onto the screen. 

“Hello!” She waved and smiled alongside the male idol next to her, “We are your MC’s today! Ice princess Winter.” 

Minjeong couldn’t bother to remember his name, just another annoying soloist looking to make it big with the immature, desperate teen girls. She ignored the script he read and tried to maintain a cute face in the brightly lit, colorful stage they set up amidst a black warehouse. If only the fans knew how ugly the filming location was once the cameras turned askew from the set. 

“Now today our first guest needs no introduction. She is talented, beautiful, an ace all rounder and Korea’s top female soloist!”   
Minjeong almost vomited when saying those words with a sweet grin. 

“Give it up for Karina!” 

The two MC’s stepped aside and Jimin, in a short and sparkly midnight blue jumper emerged and winked to the captivated cameraman. She took hold of a white mic and introduced herself to the people watching on TV. 

She began the short and frivolous interview about her comeback with the male MC and Minjeong couldn’t help being mesmerized by her. Her once bob like hair had been steadily growing enough to reach her shoulders and it looked so smooth, soft and elegant. Her prominent collarbones were dusted with gold glitter akin to the many fabulous gold jewelry which adorned her fair and silky skin. 

Her pink brushed lips split open and she was caught staring at the taller. When they both turned back, Jimin raised her brow and gave a beautiful smirk which made Minjeong more frustrated at how weak her knees became. She burrowed both her adoration and fury inside and went back to reading the boring script. 

“Yes, Karina! Do you have high hopes of winning this week's popularity trophy? Are your fans streaming the new MV hard enough?”  
“Yes!” Jimin said in a fake high pitched voice, “My fans are one of the most hardworking and dedicated in the industry right now. I have faith they’ll push me to the top.”

Minjeong turned her head away from their conversation to some random part of the warehouse where she stared at the bleak black walls and camera crew getting many shots. 

Thankfully, the short interview came to a close and she alongside the other idol clapped timidly and gave heartfelt words of encouragement to her performance today. 

When the camera lights blinked off, the studio bell rang and Jimin was about to make her way out to the true stage and meet her backup dancers. However, she paused and stopped to face Minjeong who was adjusting the mic on her chest to be higher. 

“Winter.” She called.  
“Why should I respond?”  
“Meet up with me after the show?”

Minjeong stuttered, “You’re bored? You’re bored so you're coming to me for some fun? Is that all I am?”

Jimin looked with warning, “When was it ever different?”

Inside, Minjeong felt a deep crack ripple through her tight chest. She couldn’t breathe easily, inhaling rapidly through her blaring nostrils and Jimin stood from afar to watch her reaction. Minjeong lowered her head and continued to adjust the mic. 

“Fine.” Jimin said with dissapointment, “Spend time with yourself.”

Jimin shut the heavy door and made her way out the stage leaving Minjeong behind to quickly burry her feelings once again and prepare for the next interview.   
On the stage, Jimin grabbed her customized white bejeweled mic and gripped it tight. She wandered around the extravagant sci-fi set inspired by her MV and sang some random melodies, warming up further. 

But she stopped for a minute to watch two female backup dancers rub their cheeks against the other tenderly. One gave the other a quick peck and the other woman teasingly slapped her on the shoulder and giggled at her to stop. 

Jimin looked on with longing, it's been awhile since she’s felt that kind of tender loving. It never came from sex, for her life in the bedroom was cold, unconnected and solely for the purpose of getting frustrations out. 

But who was she kidding, she wouldn’t feel any of that so why gaze on in longing?   
In this competitive industry, no one had time for true romance to bloom and foster. All they had time for was a quick fuck and nothing more, it was unrealistic to expect anything serious to begin with the schedules everyone had.   
So it was easier to give up and accept the fact then try to fight the bitter truth. 

In the recording booth, Minjeong belted out a perfect high note that had her writers clapping. They smiled and Minjeong felt accomplished but when looking at the clock, they were finished for the day but only completed two tracks out of thirteen.   
“Can we stay overtime?” She asked after taking the big headphones off, “At this rate the sun will eat Earth before I get a new album out.” 

“You need to rest your vocals or else they’ll get burnt out.” Jihoon said on the intercom. 

“Ugh. But this is valuable time we could be working! Don’t you see that the longer we’re on hiatus the less people are going to care?”

“But if we make them wait for a stellar album that will triumph over cheap, mass produced mini albums with shit fillers.” 

Minjeong burst out of the recording room and sneered to Jihoon who immediately got on the defensive. 

“The pace we have is simply too slow. We’re either gonna extend our hours or cut down on some b-sides.”  
“Yeah but we promised the media it’d be your biggest album yet. Don’t you think they’ll be disappointed if we rushed it with the promise half fulfilled?”  
“You’re such a fucking dickhead.” Minjeong said and everyone in the studio gasped. 

“Excuse me? I’m only looking out for your career that you’re jeopardizing by the minute with your rushed decisions.”

“I’m ruining my career?” Minjeong got close to Jihoon and started practically yelling into her face, “You’re the one booking me with poor magazines, getting me MC jobs with no name idols and delaying my album by so many months while other artists snatch up my trophies and my numbers! You’re doing a piss poor fucking job!” 

It wasn’t a new sensation, it's happened before but whenever it does, Minjeong is still left in a state of shock. When Jihoon slapped her cheek, she fell into the mixers table, landing on knobs and buttons that dug into her skin. The rest of the room was quiet, all they heard was Jihoon’s angry huffing and Minjeong barely there whimpers from the sting of the slap. 

“We may consult you for ideas but don’t ever forget who’s in charge here. Who you signed a contract with, who you sold your rights to. We possess your income, your career and your private life. Don’t fucking forget that and cross out of line you hear me?”

“I remember.” Minjeong grunted, “But I hate it. What worked years ago is failing now.” 

“Then we could just fucking leave you.” Jihoon said coldly, “We could terminate your contract, rip you from the apartment we pay for and take ownership of the songs we wrote and produced. Then you could start your own career on your own wishes and choices, does that sound like a good alternative for you?”  
At Jihoon’s mocking voice, the feisty Minjeong wanted nothing more than to turn back and slap him but a strong arm from a producer held her down on her lower back. She struggled and huffed but didn’t make a move to hurt her already furious manager. 

“I’ll stay.” 

“Good choice. Now why don’t you start learning your place and listening to us more often. We know what we’re doing.” 

Internally, Minjeong scoffed at the statement and thought of countless snarky comebacks to make but being exhausted, frustrated and hurt, she dropped them all.   
“I understand. Now please let me go home.” 

“Oh so now you want to go home? Let her go, Minsuk.”   
She stumbled out of the room embarrassed and left the building humiliated. At least she had the privacy of some glass between her and the driver when he was driving her home. She could stare at the window to the lively city and ponder about who to run to. 

Yizhuo was still mad, her manager was a prick, her parents hated her job decision and she didn’t even have a fluffy pet to pick up and cuddle after rough days.   
The only name she could think of was Jimin. The cause of most of her frustrations and pain yet that’s the first person she still yearned to see. She couldn’t understand it, she never did so instead she just punched the black leather seats of the car in anger to vent it all out. 

The driver didn’t say or do anything. 

Many bottles of hard, tasteless liquor later and Minjeong couldn’t even remember what she drank. It was imported from eastern Europe, some eighty percent liquor and the rest who knows what. Hopefully it would drain her energy and body quite fast so she’d pass out in her big cozy bed but while drowsy, she was still awake.   
Her mind was awake, always too active and never getting anything reprise. 

She was in the bathtub with around seven empty glass bottles around her as well as some towels for warmth. Minjeong shakily reached out for the phone she left on the black marble countertop and dialed a number with unsteady fingers. 

“Please please please answer.” Minjeong muttered while the phone rang. 

“Hello?”

Minjeong shifted in the rub to her side and clutched the phone to her ear.   
“What have you done to me?”  
“What? Minjeong are you alright?” Jimin asked. 

“What have you done to me Yoo Jimin? Why have you made me such a stupid mess? A grown woman who can’t function because you’re not around? Because you’re always running in my busy mind even though we’ve broken it off. Why can’t I forget about you? What fucking tricks are you playing on me, witch?”  
“Minjeong you’re absolutely fucked.” Jimin stated, “What did you drink?”

“You! I took a sip of you ten years ago and now I’m addicted. I’m an alcoholic! Jimin-holic or some shit. It's all your fault.” Minjeong shouted and the sound reverberated off the silver tiled walls, “You made me like this!”

Jimin panicked internally, she’d only heard Minejong this distressed and out of her mind once before and she didn’t want to relive it again. Jimin grabbed her car keys, a black jacket and another phone she kept for private and tried to reason with a sobbing Minjeong. 

“Minjeong. Stay on the line with me, I’m coming to help you, okay? Me and Yizhuo and coming.”

“You both fucking hate me! Even though I love you so much Jimin you hate me! You never loved me like I loved you and I can’t stand myself for still trying.” Minjeong yells turned into desperate sobs for help, “And Yizhuo will never like me again after I hurt her.”

Jimin chose to ignore that and with her free hand, texted Yizhuo with a very direct and clear message. 

“Minjeong’s crashing again. She needs our help.” 

Within not even a minute, Yizhuo responded with a worried emoji face.   
“Okay. I’m getting my car keys right now. I’ll meet you there in ten.”

While Jimin ran out of her apartment, Minjeong was always on the line spilling out more personal words that made Jimin’s heart feel like a wet rag being tugged and pulled into nothing. 

“You’re why I’m a mess! If only I could accept you as a lost ex then I’d be free but whatever curse you’ve brought to me is making me lost! Is this what you want? Is this what you intended?”

She didn’t know if Minjeong could hear or not but she sighed it out anyway.

“No. Never, my sunflower.”

When she arrived at the front of the apartment, Yizhuo was outside the lobby door warming her hands up with her breath. She greeted Jimin quickly and then dug out the keys from inside her pocket and opened it for both of them. The concierge inside tried to ask them why they were here but they ran to the elevator too fast for him to inquire further. 

“Is it bad?” Yizhuo asked timidly.   
“If we have to both be here, then yeah.” 

They went into the luxury rogue elevator and stood together but never facing each for too long.

“Haven’t seen you in forever. Well in person that is, I see you on the TV all the time.” 

Jimin cleared her throat, “I know. I don’t think we need to rehash it all. Minjeong needs our help first.” 

They spoke no more in the elevator and once it let out to the top floor, they quickly ran to the end of the white hallway and came across her door. Inside, they could hear clanking of bottles and Yizhuo found the key to her suite. When they got in, the lights were all shut off like no one was home. 

“Minjeong?” Jimin called. 

When they got no response, they kicked their shoes off and quietly made their way around the large penthouse. When they turned to her master bedroom, the ensuite bathroom light was turned on and the door was wide open. 

Not wishing to startle her, Jimin and Yizhuo both knocked before coming in.   
“Minjeong?” Yizhuo said sweetly, “It’s just us.”

They expected an answer but when they stepped into the brightly lit ensuite, Minjeong was dead asleep covered in bottles and drool. Her hair was loose, covering her shoulders and some draped over the bat hub, the bags under her shut eyes told them she was exhausted beyond belief. Jimin and Yizhuo both exchanged a look of pity. Jimin sank down to the cold floor and sat beside the deep bathtub and pulled Minjeong’s warm hand out and kissed it softly. 

“Did something change while I was awol?” Yizhuo asked from the door. 

“I don’t know. I just want her to be okay.”


	8. Hear me for once (M)

Minjeong hadn’t changed much since her childhood years when Jimin first laid eyes on her. 

When Minjeong was entering high school, she was tiny but bold with a confidence nobody expected from a puny newbie. She carried this honest attitude and short fuse that once erupted, would send her into scolding's from the strict teachers.  
Jimin had the guts to speak with Minjeong one boring Tuesday afternoon when they were assigned to the other in chemistry. After they introduced each other, Minjeong quickly went back to being bored and twirling her sparkly pink pen on the scratched up desk. Jimin thought her simple beauty stood out from the other girls. Her smooth black hair, her large eyes with plenty of personality and her soft, delicate hands that looked like they belonged to a porcelain doll. 

So she took a deep breath in when the chemistry equipment was set down at their table and turned to a disinterested Minjeong. 

“Hi. I think you’re really beautiful.”

Minjeong looked with amusement and a blush. The girl burst out laughing but the chatter of other students working made it so no one cared. 

“That’s bold.” 

Jimin turned away and cleared her throat but her eyes kept darting to Minjeong who was doing the same. They both sat trying to hide a curious smile and the urge to shift closer. 

“I’m sorry. That was too direct.”  
“Hah! My kind of woman.” Minjeong snickered, “But maybe next time, build up the flirting you know? Get so classy and slick that you don’t get embarrassed after you hit on them, be confident about it.” 

“Oh. So you didn’t mind it?” Jimin asked. 

Minjeong placed her cheek on the table and dreamily stared up at a flustered Jimin.  
“Not coming from a ten like you.” 

From there on, they were an inseparable pair the whole school couldn’t get enough of. 

But almost ten years later, the once iconic couple was distant, elusive and rarely seen together. They weren’t even proudly shouting their Jiminjeong name that Yizhuo had created one day while cleaning the classrooms. Jimin wondered if former students were interested in their careers now, if they watched the two idols sneakily bash each other through passive aggressive comments and such. Did they miss the sweet and hopelessly in love girls or did they enjoy the new turn their relationship had taken, did they enjoy the juicy drama? 

That’s what Jimin thought while snooping through the photobooks Minjeong kept tucked away behind her bookshelf of her own albums. She had pulled it out and was flipping through pages and pages of polaroid's taken by friends of her and Minjeong. She couldn’t believe she kept all of these in the first place. But then, this book was tucked far into the shelf, covered in dust and torn up in the crumpled corners. 

She paused to gaze at a picture of Jimin in a short, aqua blue dress with the most exquisite silver jewelry and dust adorning her slender neck and collarbones. She remembers arriving at her door and nearly dropping to the cold ground when she saw her girlfriend. Minjeong knew the effect and flipped her new curly blonde hair and puckered her light pink lips in an invitation. 

Jimin knew at that moment that she was the luckiest woman alive.  
“Oh so now you’re spying?” Minjeong's groggy voice came from the door of where the ensuite connected to her bedroom. 

Jimin sighed in relief that Yizhuo woke her up and sat down on Minjeong's neat bed.  
“I made the bed for you.” Jimin said, “I thought it’d put you at ease.”

“Of course. The made bed cancels out everything else I’m feeling.”

They both sighed and Minjeong sat on her bed as well. They were on either side, backs facing one another and both women nervously clutched at the grey sheets wondering who’d break the ice first. In the bathroom, Yizhuo happily cleaned up the mess. 

“I-” Jimin began but Minjeong cut her off.  
“Don’t even know what to say? Yeah. You often don’t.”  
“Excuse me I wasn’t the one sobbing into the phone telling my ex how much I hate but love her.”

Minjeong scoffed, “But do you ever understand where I’m coming from? So maybe I let go of myself and yelled at you but for good reason! Jimin you’ve lied to me, torn me apart and left me into I don’t know what! I’ve never felt this shitty before because of a person.”

“I’m also the only person you’ve ever dated.” 

“Oh shut up with it!” Minjeong shouted, “Here I am telling you about how I feel, how you affect me and you shift it around into something else! You never listen to me! What I have to say especially if it's criticizing you.”

“Minjeong I-”

“No.” Minjeong shook her head, “You’re a woman of many secrets that I can’t understand. You’re an unsolvable cypher and whenever I try to crack it, you add yet another layer of puzzle and I’m lost again. That’s how you make me feel, Jimin. Can’t you understand that?”

Jimin looked outside the floor to ceiling window and somberly gazed upon downtown Seoul. There were probably raging parties, extravagant galas and electrifying concerts and clubs lighting up the night yet here she was feeling like a piece of shit with her ex on the verge of tears nearby. As an idol, she had everything set perfectly for her, money, fame and desire from everyone around yet this one woman put dents in her pristine life and picked at her guarded heart like an expert lockpicker. This shouldn't be happening, the riches of her beautiful life should power over weak emotions but Minjeong did a powerful thing to her, something no one else could ever achieve. 

“Minjeong… I’m terrible with myself.” Jimin said weakly.

“Oh you don’t need to tell me. But don’t shift this into me feeling pity for you.”  
“I… don’t make decisions easily when it comes to my personal life. I fuck up a lot. I let my company do whatever. I let them hurt us and I can never forgive myself for it.”  
Minjeong turned slightly to look at a hunched over Jimin with hands on her face.  
“What do you mean?”

“They know about us. They found me leaving the hotel after the art showcase. That idea to connect again in public, it was theirs. All for promotion, for media attention.”

“Oh. So you want to be with me again was all just a lie? Why am I not shocked?”  
“No! Minjeong I can’t express it well you know that but… Somewhere in me, I want this so bad I just don’t know how to do it properly. I know I’ve hurt you so bad I don’t know how to make it up to you. To be a true, loyal lover again.”  
“Were you ever one?” Minjeong said with sass. 

“I was!” Jimin snapped, “I was a dedicated, true lover to you-”

“But you know what you did.” Minjeong stated coldly, “You did what I consider almost irredeemable. And that’s why I hate this, you broke my golden rule yet I still want you. I still need your lips, your voice, your touch because I’ll never crave anyone else. I thought I had boundaries, I thought I had morals that would end a relationship for me but here I am, needing you like an addict needs their needle.”  
Jimin didn’t know what to say, any word was getting clogged in her throat that was ready to scream and then cry. The guilt was bubbling up in her uneasy stomach and she clutched it tightly. 

“How do I do it? How do I become what you want me to be?”

“Is that my job?” 

Jimin accepts the question and lowers her head in shame, “It’s not. I know that.”  
“Honestly. I don’t know how to continue either. How about we just meet at your place tomorrow and fuck? That’s all this is good for.” 

With that, Minjeong got up to help an innocent Yizhuo just finishing up. Jimin was left with nothing to do but reflect and stare at the sparkling city late at night with a heavy heart and guilty conscience. 

In the balmy and steamy summer evenings, the teenagers sat in Minjeong’s house with barely anything on. If Minjeong's mother would pass by, they’d throw a coat on but with just the two of them, they sat in loose tanks with no bras and tiny shorts on the excuse that it was ‘too hot’.

“Focus on the game!” Minjeong slapped Jimin's wandering hand that caressed her bare thigh. 

Jimin smiled and grabbed her controller again and went back into racing mode. Minjeong was well ahead in the game but Jimin just landed a blue shell which she launched to a first place Minjeong. 

“No no no no no! You fucking bastard!” Minjeong shouted and Jimin laughed as she passed her girlfriend and snatched first place. 

“You fucking idiot do you know how much it sucks to be this close to winning and then get fucked?”  
Jimin chuckled, “Yeah. That’s why I did it to you.”

“Oh I’m gonna kill you.” Minjeong playfully said before throwing herself on top of Jimin and trying to wrestle her to submit. They laughed while fighting but Jimin was much stronger and could easily throw this little battle the other way and take control over Minjeong but she submitted. 

With hands pinned above her head, Minjeong eagerly celebrated a defeated Jimin.  
“I won this battle! Who’s the boss now?”

“You are.”  
“And who’s the strongest?”  
“Still me.”

“Oh way to ruin my time in the spotlight.” Minjeong flipped her hair like a beauty queen in a commercial.

Jimin easily got up and gave a light peck to Minjeong’s cheek and pulled her close into a back hug. She leaned against her metal bed frame in comfort as the game sat in idle waiting for the two girls to finish their skinship. 

“You look like such a diva when you do that.”  
“Do what?”  
“Oh twirl your hair and purse your lips. Like a true supermodel.”  
“Well that’s the goal.”

“You really still wanna go with it?” Jimin asked as she ran her hands through Minjeong jet black hair, “You really wanna be a star?”

“Oh, babe. You know this is my calling. Under the spotlight, the cameras and the adoring public. This is who I am, I’ll be right at home as a star.”

“Well. I just wonder how the public will react to such a sassy little girl claiming the hearts of millions.” Jimin snickered and pulled Minjeong’s head back gently for a deep kiss. 

They locked lips and Minjeong placed her hand on Jimin’s soft cheek once she turned back. When they broke apart, Minjeong felt a gush of wetness between her legs and she trembled back to kissing her. 

“We’ll be in the same group. You know? Wouldn't that be lovely? Sharing our dream together?” Minjeong said breathlessly. 

“But then the fans will notice our closeness much easier. And you know the public isn’t kind to gay couples, they’ll heckle us to no end.”

“Oh let them. Let them marvel at what we have. Let them be jealous, let them get pissed off because only you get to taste my pearl. I’ll enjoy it thoroughly, flirting and teasing so much that no one can deny it, we’re mad in love.”

Jimin ran her hands down Minjeong’s sweaty back and down to her cute bum. She jiggled the little flesh playfully and Minjeong kissed her cheek again. Jimin sighed in content, wishing to stay in this position forever with Minjeong happy and warm on her lap. 

“You know… What happens if we get separated? What if we don’t get in the same group?”

“Impossible, darling. I’m stuck to you and you’re stuck to me. Even if we’re hating each other's guts, expect me to always stick around. You’re never getting rid of me.”

Jimin smiled and lowered her shorts until Minjeong was bare naked waist down. 

“Sounds lovely to me.”

“Why do you do this to me?” Minjeong breathlessly said while Jimin pumped her fingers in and out of her gushing pussy. She clutched desperately onto Jimin’s shoulders as she was lifted above the ground, they were so eager they didn’t make it to bed, Jimin just started taking her in the foyer. 

They were still almost half dressed and Jimin bit onto Minjeong’s shoulders hard and made her squirm. 

“I wish I was someone else, I wish maybe I had a different heart.”  
Jimin grunted, “If you’re still talking I’m not doing it good enough.”  
“Oh no… You’re fucking amazing.” Just not in the way I need you to be.” 

Minjeong said and it spurred Jimin into a determined rage. 

Her eyes shifted dangerously and she began almost brutally fucking her hole with three fingers and Minjeong stumbled from her hold. Her whole body rocked with burning pleasure and she tried shutting her legs but Jimin had none of it.

“Too much!”

Jimin yanked her down to the sleek hardwood flooring on her back and dove her head into her pussy. With one hand settling on her flat stomach, the other buried deep inside and her mouth on her clit, Minjeong was losing it. Jimin turned her fingers upward and brushed against a spot that had her ex shivering like a leaf in a strong wind and screaming until high heaven. 

“Jimin fuck!” She yelled as a long, endless orgasm rocked through and Jimin stayed fucking her through it all. 

Jimin left her pussy and came up to Minjeong’s face where she cradled her in a tender hug. Minjeong still shook slightly from the orgasm and breathed deep into Jimin’s neck. Before she knew it, Minjeong had been rocked to sleep, passed out from the short but wild sex and Jimin lay there, half naked on the ground hard floor with Minjeong peacefully asleep in her arms.  
Even though it’d piss her off once she woke up, Jimin wrapped the woman in soft, lilac and pink blankets, the colours she’d always liked and carried her up the white stairs to her bedroom. Once in bed, Minjeong was wrapped in the blankets and slumbered cutely that Jimin had to coo. 

She kneeled by the bedside and traced every mole and line on Minjeong’s soft cheek and sighed. 

“Sweetheart. If only you knew it all, if only you let that feisty reactionary attitude simmer down and listen to my story… Maybe then we’d be like before. But I’m scared, I’m tough, confident and brave. I shouldn’t be breaking down in front of you, I shouldn’t be letting my secrets fly away, they’re mine to keep…”

Jimin rolled her eyes and stood up, “I don’t even know what I’m saying. Ignore it.”  
After that, Jimin climbed into bed and snuggled close into Minjeong, innocent and pure like the love they had when they were young. 

Looking at the ceiling blankly while listening to Minjeong’s gentle snores, she wondered if it could ever go back to that. 

And if she had been doing too much wondering and not enough action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry this took quite long, I didn't want to rush this story or this chapter to not disappoint so I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Road of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has noticed, I've removed a very important tag from before. Try to figure out which one.

Minjeong awoke in a somewhat familiar room and scowled. The dark ceilings, the minimalistic details and the blasting AC freezing her naked form even under thick rogue blankets. Minjeong shuffled in the large, king sized bed and threw on her tossed away clothes, still in a clump by the black dresser. 

When she walked down in black heels that made her sore legs wobble, she spotted Jimin sitting on the open balcony. It was early morning, the arrival of the strong sun in the crisp morning and yet she was sitting outside in nothing but a white bathrobe. Her hair was wet and dripped down to the concrete of the balcony. 

Minjeong picked up her black purse and briefly combed through her thin hair with her fingers before she gripped onto the silver knob. 

She turned back one last time to see Jimin wrap her arms around herself and lightly shiver but she felt little sympathy. 

“If you’re thinking this silent treatment is gonna make me feel sorry for you, then give it up. You manipulating bastard.”

Minjeong slammed the front door shut and left the rich condo without saying anything else. Jimin was left to stare at the horizon of Seoul, alone and with plenty of thoughts scampering through her overwhelmed head. 

“Yizhuo,” Minjeong said softly, “I really can’t thank you enough for everything you do. Even when I’m being a dick.”

Her best friend rubbed her shoulder soothingly and put down the now lukewarm cup of tea. It’d been a while to convince Minjeong to eat anything or drink anything to soak up the alcohol but she finally complied. But since she was at home, her only true safe place now, she felt comfortable enough to let go and indulge in hearty foods she typically would avoid for scrutiny from her dietitian.   
“No worries. You’ve seen me in pretty ugly moments as well so, we’re even now.”  
Minjeong twirled the tea around in the light blue mug and frowned to her friend. Immediately Yizhuo took notice. Both friends were in their pajamas, comfy and relaxed but this tension was lingering over them as they munched on lunch that neither could ignore.

“Still at the low point?”

“Yizhuo… I feel like I’ve let this fuck with my career, something Jimin and I swore would never happen. It was our only promise, if we broke it then we’d break the benefits off.”

“Well,” Yizhuo said with a mouthful of sweet, strawberry flavored cookie, “Do you want to?”   
“I-” Minjeong stuttered and couldn’t find the proper answer, feeling pressured with Yizhuo staring at her expectantly, “She’s so wonderful in bed. We get along so well but-”

“But this relationship is hurting you. And I’d imagine hurting her in some way.”  
“How would it be hurting her?” Minjeong rolled her eyes, “She’s the one trying to use me for more headlines. She only wanted to see me more because the company said so, never from the goodness of her heart.”

“But you don’t know that.” Yizhuo sighed, “Maybe she’d like to but is too afraid to admit it. So she’s using the company as a backup.” 

“Well how do you know that? You know, I actually dated her for two years, I know her a lot better and deeper than you ever will. So I appreciate your opinion but I don’t know how accurate it is.”

“Well dammit, Minjeong.” Yizhuo said and Minjeong got worried, she rarely saw Yizhuo upset, “Make up your mind. Do you want to remove Jimin from your life? If you do then do it. But if you want the opinion of others then don’t just shoo us away once we give it. I honestly think you’ve already made up your mind and you’re just mad that I’m not agreeing with you.”

Minjeong took a minute to stop and ponder in silence. 

“Have I really?”

“You have. And frankly, I’m not on board with it. I only say because I worry for you, and also her. We may not talk anymore but she was once my best friend, just like you know her well, I did as well. Maybe not now but don’t cut me out of the picture, Minjeong. I was her best friend before and after you two got together.”  
Minjeong silently nodded in agreement. She rubbed her tired eyes with the back of her wrists and sighed when staring at Yizhuo who was wide awake and ready to talk more. 

“I think I’m done talking.”

“Already? Just want to run away from your problems?” Yizhuo first said in disgust but when seeing Minjeong’s sad expression, she softened up and turned somber as well. 

“Okay. I respect that. I’ll be… at home if you need. I’m recording a new tutorial video for my channel though, so if you need to phone me, do it after seven.”  
Yizhuo picked up her things, said one final goodbye to Minjeong who was frozen like a dead woman on the couch and left with a frown. Minjeong stared at the door which she left for what seemed like ages. Her mind felt blank but kept running with images, memories and thoughts of her time with Jimin when they were younger. There was nothing she could do to stop it. 

Frankly, her body had no energy or motivation to switch on the TV and watch something mindless. She didn’t feel like turning on some music and drowning out the world and she felt uninterested in picking up a book to lose herself in.   
She was alive, up and aware but at the same time so asleep, so away from everything around her that she felt trapped inside a prison that consisted of memories, both wonderful and painful.

In the fitting room for her next performance, Jimin watched other idols socialize with friends, family and lovers. The stylist pulled her growing black hair into a tight ponytail and she cringed inside. They always gave her the same style and why if she had short hair for the comeback would they consistently style her in obvious extensions. Wasn’t the whole point to have the short black bob? 

Aside from her questions, Jimin randomly scrolled her twitter on her phone and out of bad habit, went to the search bar to see what the hashtags on Winter were about.   
Not surprisingly, she found plenty of fans complaining about her ‘mistreatment’, demanding that action be taken against the company for forbidding their top artist from releasing new music. They cried that she hasn’t gone on Vlive in forever, that her social media was silent and that the promises of a grand album were becoming quieter and quieter by the day. 

Jimin laughed bitterly. In a sense they were correct, but she knew that if Minjeong got her way and released subpar music, the fans would be in an uproar about how the company rushed the comeback and should’ve made them wait longer. 

They didn’t have a clue of what they were talking about and Jimin felt a little bad for them since from her management, situations of hostile and demanding fans never arose with consistent promotions and quality music. 

A tight ribbon was constricted around her waist and knocked the wind right out of Jimin. She scowled to the stylist who shrugged off her pain. 

“Are you trying to burst me like a balloon?”

“But don’t you see? Even with the tightest clothes and ribbon, there’s no fat seeping out. Fans will love that, say you’ve got the hottest body in all of Korea. Don’t you want that?”

For a second Jimin thought of it inside her head. She could hardly breathe in the snug clothing, feeling light headed and dizzy since she also hadn’t eaten in a good few days so her thinking was a little slow. 

“I don’t know.” She answered candidly.   
“Oh.” The stylist said, “Well you should.”

With a final pat to the shoulder, Jimin was called onto stage and she walked past plenty of people, all wishing her luck. The faces of these producers, managers, makeup artists and studio recorders all blurred in a fuzzy, grey light. Like a robot, she high fived them all but didn’t feel the touch on her cold hand. She had been in between melting and freezing the past hour alongside a strong sense of nausea.   
But it didn’t matter since when she arrived on stage in front of her random backup dancers, the light flickered on nearly blinding her and the green light started to roll. But when the others started dancing, she simply stood there staring at the strong stage light above like it was a beacon. After a few seconds into the song and no movement, the audience all holding their lightsticks turned them off and started whispering why she was so still.

Jimin gazed into the blinding light even when her vision started filling with darkness and faltering. The stomping of people coming to her, the music stopping and the whispers all started turning into one high pitched ring that she couldn’t shake. 

Not that she had the energy to anyway, she was too weak and overwhelmed with this hot, nausea that made her weak at the knees. 

And eventually it caught up to her and for the first time in her career, she collapsed like a little ragdoll on stage, in front of millions of eager viewers and worried fans.   
Including her demanding and perfectionist team of managers. 

The cell phone rang for about the hundredth time today but Minjeong didn’t bother to pick it up. She recognized all these numbers and thought it’d be better not to face or speak with anyone today. Today was about lying half dead on the couch and becoming buried in so many memories. 

Until a new number rang and made her immediately freeze. Her eyes became wide and she gripped the sides of the cough tightly, as if it were her only lifeline. She let the phone ring and it felt like hours before it finally stopped but the indication of a voice message came up. 

Too curious to say no, Minjeong opted to listen to the voicemail so she wouldn’t have to actively talk with this person. She pulled the phone close to her ear and let it all play. 

“Mineong… You may not remember me, or maybe you stopped out of your own will but this is Jimin’s mother. Sweetie, you may not be together like that but I’ve heard about everything. I know about this affair you two hold.”

Minjeong turned sour and frightened. How did she know?

“Jimin fainted today on stage. She’s not talking to me like usual and I’m worried for her. You may not understand her but I do and I know she has nothing in her heart but love for you, she just can’t express it well. Please try to comfort her, that’s all I ask.”

The voicemail ended and Minjeong let the offers messages play but she could only hear mother Yoo’s repeating in her head. Many questions ran through her already exhausted mind and she didn’t know how to tackle another one. 

She was so caught up in the message, she failed to hear the one from someone she used to know, a face, voice and body she tried desperately to erase from her scattered memory. 

Uchinaga Aeri. A former friend who went by the nickname, Giselle.


	10. How to cope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I am very sorry for taking so long with this chapter but I do not want to rush this series and make something I regret. I also have some things with my family that was preventing me from writing to chapter I really wanted.   
> Anyway, please enjoy!

“I have a confession.” Jimin shyly murmured under her breath.  
But Aeri was right next to her, she heard it loud and clear. 

“Well, what is it?” 

They both sat on a sandy beach log while Yizhuo and Minjeong splashed each other with water far into the sea. Aeri shuffled closer until she was breathing down Jimin’s neck. Jimin shivered and lightly pushed her away but Aeri only smirked and moved in closer. 

“What? Are you blind? You’re pushing this away?” Aeri asked while motioned to her desirable body. 

“Umm. I won’t answer that.” Jimin gulped.  
Aeri was annoyed but she let it go so Jimin would confess whatever she was hiding.  
“Fine. Forget it. Spit that confession out.”

Jimin inhaled the warm, early summer air by the shore and shut her eyes. Her hands gripped her exposed knees and Jimin looked more tense as the seconds went on. 

“I’m getting impatient, Jimin.”

“I like Minjeong!” Jimin blurted out and she opened her eyes to timidly glance at Aeri, “I’m… Gonna ask her out tomorrow night.”

Aeri froze and she slowly took her hands off Jimin. She moved further away and cleared her throat. Aeri crossed her legs, held her chin up high and lowered her sunglasses to get a clearer picture of Jimin’s crush running in the water.  
“That girl, huh? She’s really that special?”

“I think so. I thought as a friend you’d be supportive over this. It's not like you own my love life.” Jimin mumbled. 

“Sure.” Aeri half-heartedly agreed and couldn’t take her eyes off Minjeong. 

Minjeong got a neon green bucket and dunked a pool of water over Yizhuo’s head, making her tight bun droop to her neck. Yizhuo screamed and slapped her friend playfully and yanked the bucket from her hands to get even but Minjeong was already running away. Minjeong took off from the water and out to the sandy beach where Jimin was smiling the closer she ran toward them. Yizhuo was right behind, threatening to douse her in water. 

“Jimin-ah! Help me!” Minjeong called. 

Without hesitation, Jimin rose from the log and ran toward Minjeong who was still running from Yizhuo. Two against one. 

Aeri crossed her arms watching the three chase each other like eager puppies, giggling and screaming each time they came too close. Aeri was a quiet teenager, one who liked to observe rather than join. Jimin was similar to her, it's why they had hit it off so well in grade seven from how similar they were. But ever since Minjeong came along, it's like Jimin lost herself, lost her typical behavior and did whatever Minjeong commanded. Jimin was still softer, more silent and reserved but Minjeong brought out a playful, excited and happy side that Aeri had never seen before. 

And she’d be lying if she said that didn’t make her jealous. 

Minjeong flipped through the channels and stopped at the midday news just before she was about to leave the condo to get lunch with Jihoon. He hadn’t stopped phoning her even during the night so she had no choice but to get out, even if it was only the café downstairs, she didn’t have the energy to go far. 

On the news, some woman in a white suit talked over a photo of Jimin, smiling on the red carpet from a few years ago. Minjeong was ready to shut off the TV until a photo of the idol lying on stage with staff and dancers all around emerged. 

“It was in the beginning of the performance. Fans say Jimin was staring at the stage light above and almost didn’t move the entire time, only her backup dancers did the choreography.  
Not even a minute later, the idol collapsed to her back and immediately, the show was temporarily paused and staff quickly went to her aid. There are no comments or statements from either Jimin’s company or the team who run this show. Blame has been directed to many factors but nothing is confirmed as of yet.”

“Blame?” Minjeong whispered, “She fainted! Stop babying her! She doesn’t fucking need comfort! She’s a grown ass woman!”

Minjeong left the condo and after a few minutes of stairs, was down in the lobby with Jihoon outside in his parked Audi. She sighed and passed through the revolving glass doors and greeted him with a lopsided, ugly smile.  
“Minjeong! You look like shit!”

“Well my hair is in a bun so you can’t really tell I haven’t washed it in a while. Plus no one will recognize me in this hat, mask and glasses.”

“Fine. Just come with me.” Jihoon scoffed and grabbed Minjeong’s hand and pulled her into the cafe just left of the lobby. It was small but refined, offering a minimal menu but of high quality. He pulled up a chair in the furthest corner they could find and they both sat down. Minjeong already was disinterested. 

“What are you doing?” He asked sincerely, “Is it because of Jimin? Huh? Aren’t you old enough to deal with problems like these?”

“I am, Jihoon! I’m dealing with it in my own way.” Minjeong huffed.  
“Clearly it's not working. Your searches are plummeting, pre orders are declining and all the talk is about other idols, not you. Are you even paying attention to the news?”

“Yeah, a little. I heard Jimin fainted.”  
“No one knows how long she’ll be out for. And we have an idea.”  
Minjeong looked at him with curiosity, “What is it?”  
“I’ve heard rumors' that Jimin might need a hiatus.”  
“No! That’s not like her. She’s in the middle of a huge comeback.”

“Apparently, she’s gone out of town and back home. No one has had contact with her for over twenty-four hours.” 

Minjeong was genuinely surprised, “You mean, she’s out of the picture for now?”  
“Yeah. And we took into consideration some of your words.”

“Oh really? After you slapped me?”  
“Sh!” Jihoon snapped his fingers to her and she pouted, “Not here.”

“Anyway,” He continued, “The new tracks are complete, however there are some old ones that need a little touching up but I think might make good additions to the album.”

“Finally!” Minjeong celebrated, “I am heard by my management!” 

“And we have another trick up our sleeve. If you come today to finish some tracks, we can have this out by tonight. If we do a surprise full album, everyone will be shocked.” 

“Damn. Months of absence, delays and scandals all to come back with an album out of nowhere. Gotta admit, sounds nice but how can I record new tracks in like a day?”

“Well to be honest, your backup singers have covered these songs so for background vocals and harmonies, we’ll just use them and stick with you singing the main melody so this can come out tonight.”

Minjeong smiled for the first time in a few weeks and nodded enthusiastically to Jihoon. 

“Have to say, I wasn’t for the rushing idea but Jimin being AWOL is too good of an opportunity to skip. Minjeong, you could get that million seller title if we act fast while she’s missing.”

Inside, Minjeong’s heart was warning her that this was a selfish, cruel idea but then again, when has their relationship as idols ever been kind? Without more thought, Minjeong shook Jihoon’s hand with a dangerously smirk and quickly jumped into his Audi to race to the studio, warming up her vocals while in the passenger's seat. 

They had begun at ten-thirty am and now it was eleven o’clock and the album, after painstaking hours of quick editing, recording and planning was ready. The staff all sat in the main floor where everyone’s cubicle was, each staff member with their phones out ready to see the views and reactions once it drops. 

Without warning, the album was sent out to all streaming platforms, the MV to YouTube and a cd was shipped to the top radio station in Korea for a surprise treat. Minjeong was running her fingers along her lips watching the numbers slowly rise and rise on the big screen of the MV. Jihoon was busy on his phone speaking to some DJ’s around the country's nightclubs to put on the most upbeat tracks right this second. Minjeong however was lost in watching the quick success, all she had left to do now was wait until she broke the million seller record. 

Her phone buzzed and she dug it out of her pocket to take a look but for an odd reason, there was no notification. She looked around the room to see if anyone else was getting it but stopped when she noticed the door to her office being shut. 

While everyone was lost in chatting and studying the numbers, Minjeong quickly rose from her front row seat and walked toward her office. The shutter blinds were closed and but the light was on, she could see it under the door. 

Minjeong peaked her head in and saw someone sitting on her chair and staring outside the window. Bravely, she got inside and slammed the door shut. Minjeong cleared her throat and tapped her foot against the floor. 

“You need to leave.”  
“Really?” 

When the person spun around, Minjeong gasped and immediately reached for something on the bookshelf. She grabbed a thin book with some sharp angles and threw it toward her. However, she did nothing but flinch when the book landed on her hands. 

“Giselle! Fuck off.” Minjeong growled.  
“Still Giselle huh? Don’t wanna call me by my name?”

Minjeong was livid at her calm demeanor. Her hair had grown long and slightly wavy. She was much thinner, her shoulders sharp and her cheeks had lost all the baby fat she remembered her with. 

“I find it disturbing that you’re still so emotional seeing me. You really haven’t grown up have you? You’re still that fiery little girl on the inside but you’re heartbroken, you’re hurt and I know why. So you put on this strong persona, you pretend to be so nonchalant when really you’re not.”

“You haven’t known me for years. I suggest you do better things with your time then break into my office and tell me who you think I am.” 

“I haven’t known you? Oh, Minjeong. You’re on the news every minute, you’re all that’s trending in this fucking country. You don’t think I’ve watched you grow? I’ve watched your career all these years, I’ve seen how you act now and how much of a farce it is.”

Minjeong had enough and marched to the desk and slammed her hands on it. She leaned over and stared Aeri in the eyes with the promise of a long and painful death. Aeri leaned back into the chair as Minjeong kept getting closer to make Aeri feel inferior under her glare. 

Minjeong sighed in frustration, “What will it take for you to leave? What do you even want? Money? I could dish out anything for you so long as you leave me alone.”

“Not exactly. I want Jimin.”

Minjeong broke her intense glare and laughed hard, “Seriously? You still want to be with her?”

“Seems like you want to. Why can’t I?”  
And there Minjeong stopped laughing and went back to rage, “What did you just say?”

“You still want to fuck Jimin. So do I? Start a friendly competition. Just like the old days?” Aeri said as she offered her hand with a sly smile. 

Minejong slapped her hand away and pinned it down to the table. She started twisting it in uncomfortable positions and she could tell Aeri was trying hard to keep her composure under the strain.

“Oh getting possessive are we?” Aeri said out of breath, “Don’t want me defiling your pretty girlfriend?”

Minjeong raised her leg on the desk and slammed her pumped black boots onto her hand. Aeri winced and grabbed her wrist in pain. She shuddered when looking at how red it had become and the strong imprint of the underside of Minjeong’s boot.  
“What me and Jimin do doesn’t fucking concern you. Jimin even said once it was all over, she fucking hated you. So leave us alone and go back to stalking someone else you creepy bitch.”

“Damn.” Aeri fanned herself, “So protective. And feisty. And you know, by being this angry about it, you just confirmed my suspicions. You two are seeing each other, it was only a hunch but I knew it was right. There’s an affair.”

“How did you know?” Minjeong said through gritted teeth like a feral dog.

“Not many know. The keen ones? They can tell.” Aeri whispered seductively and rose up from the chair to lean into Minjeong’s ear. 

“Give me Jimin or I’ll make your life a living hell.” 

Minjeong pushed Aeri back into the chair and hit the security number on her desk phone. Not even minutes later, they came rushing on the door to escort Aeri out. All the while, Minjeong never broke eye-contact with the intruder, her old friend.  
Her head was running through thoughts of how she got in, why she wanted Jimin so much and who the hell knew about their affair. If people of the public knew and were just hiding it? Would they reveal them? Would this ‘relationship’ become widespread one day? 

Minjeong didn’t know and she slammed her head on her desk in frustration. She thought it was going so well with the surprise release, that maybe with success and riches, she’d forget about this whole drama. 

But it just had to continue. The story wouldn’t fucking end. 

The family home was located far from the city with dazzling lights and endless commotion. It was far away, tucked in between big fields which her family had owned for decades. It was a simple farm house, they hadn’t updated the old place even when neighbours tore down the old and built new, lavish mansions that spit in the face of the Yoo household. 

But there was something special about coming home, to a simpler life with people she loved. Her mother, her grandmother, her aunts and their husbands and some cousins. Even though Jimin stumbled out of the taxi she came in, they welcomed her with open arms. All she remembered was phoning her mother to meet grandma and then hailing a cab and commanding him to drive until he could see the stars above. 

Unlike her penthouse, there was a homey, one of a kind feel to this place. Her aunts swaddled her in thick blankets, her grandmother prepared a hearty soup and the little cousins offered her their stuffies as she fell asleep like a log on the couch.  
Her phone was somewhere in the basement, stuffed under giant bags of fertilizer so no one would hear the ringing. She’d been dressed in warm, handmade baby pink pajamas and the tight dress she came in had been tossed into the fire pit outside.  
There was nothing more she could ask for as she got settled into the family home, it was a dream come true winding down and forgetting about all that goes wrong in the city and in her job. 

But in her mind, Minjeong’s disappointed and angry face still appeared constantly. She could not remove her hurt, what made her want to leave in the first place. Jimin was grateful to spend some time away but every moment away and not there fixing the problem only ate at her more and more. 

She felt like this guilt would keep eating at her chest until she was swallowed whole and nothing was to be left of her. 

What a dismal feeling she thought as she lounged on the couch with her cousins by her side. She watched some old and cute cartoons with them as she stroked their hair. There was a gentle breeze outside shaking the trees against the wooden house and her grandma and mother were outside picking some fresh crops. It was peaceful, mindless but peaceful. 

She was desperate to make this heartbreak stop consuming her. 

Even if it meant going missing for a while. 

She didn't even bother to consider what effects this might have on her job and what opportunities Minjeong might find out of this absence.

**Author's Note:**

> Already have good plans for future chapters but if there's any suggestions, hopes or comments you'd like to make please do so!


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